FROM   THE   LIBRARY   OF 
REV.    LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 

THE   LIBRARY   OF 

PRINCETON   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


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Copyright,  1897, 
By  Doubleday  and  McClure  Co. 


PREFACE   TO   THE  AMERICAN 
EDITION. 


I^HE  success  which  has  attended  the  publication  of 
the  English  edition  of  this  little  collection  of 
"  Hymns  that  have  Helped,"  encourages  the  hope  that 
it  may  be  found  equally  acceptable  to  the  American 
public. 

The  Service  of  Song  is  part  of  the  Service  of  Man 
that  is  universal.  It  has  hitherto  been  fortunate  to  es- 
cape the  sectarian  limitations  of  territorial  and  politi- 
cal divisions.  According  to  an  analysis  made  of  the 
hymns  contained  in  the  most  widely-used  American 
hymn-books  down  to  the  year  1880,  the  average  num- 
ber of  hymns  of  a  purely  American  origin  was  not 
quite  one  in  seven.  There  is  probably  no  hymn-book 
in  general  use  in  any  part  of  the  British  empire  which 
does  not  count  many  American  hymns  among  those 
which  are  most  popular  and  helpful.  Custom-houses 
may  divide  the  producers  and  consumers  of  other  manu- 
factures. No  Chinese  wall  of  protective  tariffs  will 
ever  prevent  the  two  great  English-speaking  nations 
practising  free  trade  in  hymns.  The  English-speaking 
race  has  presumably  no  difficulty  in  recognising  its 
unity  when  praising  its  Maker. 

The  principle  upon  which  this  collection  has  been 
compiled  is  more  American  than  English.  For  the 
basic  idea  of  the  book  is  that  of  appealing  directly  to 
the  experience  of  the  individual ;  that  of  applying  the 
test  not  of  the  standard  of  excellence  of  the  literary 
expert,  or  of  orthodoxy  as  defined  by  the  authority  of 
churches,  but  that  of  its  helpfulness  to  men  and 
women. 


PREFACE  TO   AMERICAN  EDITION. 


I  claim  nothing  for  the  collection  beyond  what  its 
name  implies.  The  hymns  which  it  contains  are  hymns 
which  have  helped  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  to  do 
their  work  in  this  world  and  to  face  with  composure  or 
exultation  the  coming  of  the  Messenger  which  sum- 
mons them  to  the  next.  In  its  compilation  I  have 
naturally  given  the  foremost  place  to  those  hymns 
which  have  helped  those  who  have  helped  their  fellows 
most.  Some  hymns  are  like  jewelled  chalices  from 
which  generation  after  generation  has  drunk  of  the 
water  of  life.  Others  are  but  as  the  rusty  dipper  from 
which  the  wayworn  traveller  cools  his  thirst.  The 
workmanship  of  the  vessel  has  weighed  little  compared 
with  the  authentic  evidence  that  it  was  the  means 
whereby  the  thirsty  soul  of  man  was  able  to  drink  and 
live. 

In  appealing  to  the  American  public  I  do  not  feel  as 
if  I  were  venturing  upon  ground  that  was  more  strange 
to  me  than  that  of  my  native  land.  For  the  English 
Nonconformist  has  always  been  more  in  fellowship 
with  the  churches  of  America  than  with  the  Anglican 
Church  that  is  established  and  endowed  in  his  own 
country.  The  men  of  the  "Mayflower,"who  founded  New 
England,  and  their  descendants  after  them,  have  always 
been  more  of  our  kith  and  kin  than  the  representatives 
of  the  church  of  Laud  and  the  Stuarts.  The  children 
of  the  Puritans  in  the  Old  World  and  in  the  New  form 
one  family,  in  a  much  more  real  and  vital  sense  than 
those  who  are  outside  the  circle  are  able  to  realise. 
And  within  that  circle  there  is  no  language  of  the 
household  so  familiar  as  sacred  song. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  overestimate  the  extent  to 
which  the  religious  life  of  the  English-speaking  world 
has  been  quickened  and  gladdened  by  the  Songs  and 
Solos  of  Mr.  Sankey.  And  before  Mr.  Sankey,  the 
"  American  Sacred  Songster  "  of  Mr.  Phillips  had  done 
much  to  enliven  our  Service  of  Song.  To  this  day  the 
American  hymns  and  spiritual  songs  are  more  popular 
among  our   masses  than  any  others.      When  mission 


PREFACE  TO   AMERICAN   EDITION. 


services  are  held,  or  a  revival  is  under  way,  in  the  ma- 
jority of  cases  the  American  hymns  are  used  as  a  matter 
of  course.  This  is  not  the  case  with  the  high  Anglican 
services,  but  even  there  it  would  not  be  impossible  to 
trace  the  influence  of  the  inspiriting  strains  of  the 
American  Sacred  Song. 

When  we  know  the  favourite  hymns  of  a  man  we  have 
gained  a  glimpse  into  his  inner  life.  When  we  know 
the  hymns  which  have  most  helped  the  English  of  the 
Motherland,  we  gain  more  insight  into  the  real  trend  of 
the  aspirations  and  the  deepest  emotions  of  the  nation 
than  can  be  gained  from  the  perusal  of  the  entire  Brit- 
ish press.  Hence,  I  hope  it  may  be  possible  that  in  the 
United  States  this  collection  may  be  of  some  slight 
service  in  helping  to  a  better  understanding  between 
the  two  nations.  These  hymns  have  been  most  helpful 
to  us.  What  are  the  hymns  which  have  been  most  help- 
ful to  you  ? 

I  want  to  publish  as  a  sequel  or  supplement  to  this 
volume  a  second  series  of  "  Hymns  that  have  Helped," 
based  on  the  recorded  experience  of  Americans.  I  do 
not  know  whether  it  may  be  possible  to  elicit  an  ade- 
quate response,  but  "  nothing  venture,  nothing  win." 

The  attempt  to  interrogate  the  foremost  men  and 
women  in  the  States  and  Territories  as  to  the  hymns 
which  have  most  helped  them  may  possibly  be  less  diffi- 
cult where  the  Interviewer  is  indigenous  than  it  is  else- 
where. The  experiment  is  well  worth  trying,  but  the 
experience  gained  in  preparing  the  English  edition  sug- 
gested the  expediency  of  slightly  varying  the  form  of 
interrogation. 

I  originally  appealed  to  those  who  were  willing  to 
help  in  the  work  of  compilation :  first,  for  the  personal 
experience  of  the  individual  addressed  ;  second,  for  note 
or  reference  to  record  of  instances  where  hymns  had 
influenced  those  whose  lives  had  greatly  influenced  the 
history  of  mankind  ;  thirdly,  for  brief  note  of  instances 
in  which  hymns  had  altered  human  lives,  —  even  of  the 
most  obscure ;  and,  fourthly,  for  reference  to  incidents 


8        PREFACE  TO   AMERICAN   EDITION. 

where  hymns  had  figured  conspicuously  in  some  not- 
able episode  in  human  history. 

To  these  four  I  would  add  in  making  my  appeal  to  the 
American  public  a  fifth  request ;  namely,  that  I  should 
be  furnished  with  the  name  of  the  living  American 
whose  life  experience  as  to  the  helpful  value  of  hymns 
my  correspondent  thinks  would  be  most  interesting  and 
valuable  to  his  countrymen. 

May  I  ask  all  readers  who  are  disposed  to  co-operate 
with  me  in  preparing  such  an  American  sequel  to  the 
present  volume  to  address  their  communications  to  me, 
care  of  the  publishers  of  this  volume,  Doubleday  & 
McClure  Co.,  141-155  East  Twenty-fifth  Street,  New 
York,  U.  S.  A. 

W.  T.  Stead. 


INTRODUCTION. 


THERE  are  now  nearly  half  a  million  hymns,  nomi- 
nally Christian,  in  the  two  hundred  languages  or 
dialects  in  which  Christianity  is  preached. 

The  "  Dictionary  of  Hymnology,"  compiled  by  the 
Rev.  John  Julian,  M.A.,  contains  over  sixteen  hundred 
closely-printed  double-column  pages,  giving  an  account 
of  some  five  thousand  authors  and  translators  of  thirty 
thousand  hymns,  —  not  ten  per  cent  of  the  immense 
mass. 

There  are  said  to  be  no  fewer  than  269  hymnals  in 
the  Church  of  England.  But  "  Hymns  Ancient  and 
Modern  "  is  rapidly  ousting  all  others.  In  1894  it  was 
in  use  in  over  ten  thousand  churches.  The  "  Hymnal 
Companion"  had  1,478  supporters,  run  close  by 
"Church  Hymns"  of  the  S.  P.  C.  K.  with  1,426,  but 
only  379  used  any  other  than  these  three  collections. 
Of  1,058  London  churches,  "  Hymns  Ancient  and  Mod- 
ern "  were  in  use  in  695.  Of  Methodist,  Roman  Catho- 
lic, Nonconformist,  and  Presbyterian  hymnals  there  is 
no  end.  Yet,  numerous  as  they  are,  the  demand  of  the 
public  for  hymns  continues  unabated.  How  many 
hymn-books  have  been  published  this  century  no  one 
can  possibly  say.  But  of  "  Hymns  Ancient  and  Mod- 
ern "  no  fewer  than  thirty-five  millions  have  been  circu- 
lated in  the  last  thirty-five  years,  giving  an  average  sale 
of  close  upon  a  million  a  year,  or  nearly  three  thousand 
per  day,  year  in  and  year  out,  Sunday  and  week-day,  ever 
since  it  was  first  published  in  i860.  It  is  impossible  to 
estimate  the  number  of  hymn-books  sold  outside  the 
Church  of  England  at  a  less  figure.  We  have,  there- 
fore, to  face  the  amazing  fact  that  of  collections  of 
sacred  poetry  the  British  public's  normal  regular  con- 
sumption is  two  millions  a  year.     It  is  thus  possible 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

that  this  collection,  which  is  unique  in  its  way,  may 
have  its  share  of  popular  support.  It  is  at  least  of 
manageable  dimensions.  Most  modern  hymn-books 
suffer  from  corpulence.  One  thousand  hymns  seem  to 
be  regarded  as  the  normal  limit,  a  minimum  which 
many  compilers  exceed. 

In  putting  together  the  present  list  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  hymns,  one  feels  somewhat  like  a  captain 
of  a  cricket  team  selecting  the  first  eleven  for  his  county. 
Every  one  knows  what  resentment  such  a  process  neces- 
sarily creates  among  those  who  are  relegated  to  the 
second  eleven,  and  how  all  their  friends  deplore  the 
blindness  and  injustice  which  led  to  their  exclusion. 
Still,  it  cannot  be  helped ;  and  although  there  are  many 
hymns  I  should  like  to  have  seen  in  this  selection,  the 
limits  are  inexorable,  and  I  have  chosen  my  "first 
eleven  "  for  better  or  for  worse. 

This  Hymnal  has  been  completed  by  the  voluntary 
co-operation  of  a  multitude  of  willing  workers  to  whom 
I  appealed,  in  the  first  place,  for  their  own  experience ; 
in  the  second,  for  the  well-authenticated  record  of  how 
this  or  that  hymn  has  helped  those  "  whose  lives  sub- 
lime, shed  undimmed  splendour  over  unmeasured 
time  ; "  in  the  third  place,  for  brief  notes  of  instances 
in  which  hymns  have  altered  human  lives ;  and  fourthly, 
for  references  to  incidents  such  as  that  of  the  victor- 
psalm  at  Dunbar,  where  a  hymn  has  figured  conspicu- 
ously in  some  notable  episode  of  human  history. 

This  Hymnal  has  no  claim  to  literary  merit  other 
than  that  which  attaches  to  hymns  which  have  a  well- 
attested  value  as  having  been  the  channel  through 
which  mortal  man  has  heard  the  voice  of  God,  or  which 
have  enabled  him  to  commune  with  his  Maker.  Some 
day  I  hope,  if  1  may  be  spared,  to  edit  a  commentary 
on  the  Bible  on  similar  principles. 

Miss  Hankey,  the  author  of  the  very  popular  "  Tell 
me  the  Old,  Old  Story,"  while  writing  with  approval 
of  the  method  of  compiling  this  collection,  adds  a  word 
of  caution  :  — 


INTRODUCTION.  1 1 

"  Still  waters  run  deep."  We  must  not  expect  all  who  are 
helped  by  hymns  to  publish  their  special  preferences  and  expe- 
riences, and  among  our  own  fellow-countrymen  especially, 
every  man's  heart  is  his  castle.  Yet  there  are  yearnings  shared 
by  all.  To  express  and  interpret  these  yearnings,  to  deepen 
and  guide  them,  is  the  work  of  the  hymn-writer. 

The  object  of  this  collection,  of  course,  is  to  ascer- 
tain what  writers  have  succeeded  best.  It  is  a  very 
difficult  task,  even  when  the  compiler  is  assisted  by 
correspondence  from  the  uttermost  ends  of  the  earth. 

Still,  the  task,  though  arduous,  has  been  pleasant. 
Who  can  estimate  the  incalculable  force  for  goodness 
and  kindness  and  honest  living  that  these  hymns  rep- 
resent !  Each  of  them  is  as  seed-corn  bearing  harvests 
by  which  the  nations  live.  That  is  true  of  all  hymns, 
for  in  them  dwells  the  real  catholicity  of  the  Christian 
Church.     Well  said  Henry  Ward  Beecher  :  — 

There  is  almost  no  heresy  in  the  hymn-book.  In  hymns 
and  psalms  we  have  a  universal  ritual.  It  is  the  theology  of  the 
heart  that  unites  men.  Our  very  childhood  is  embalmed  in 
sacred  tunes  and  hymns.  Our  early  lives  and  the  lives  of  our 
parents  hang  in  the  atmosphere  of  sacred  song.  The  art  of 
singing  together  is  one  that  is  forever  winding  invisible  threads 
about  persons. 

In  hymns,  as  in  iron-clads  and  many  other  inventions, 
France  has  led  the  way.  Clement  Marot  was  the  first 
to  popularise  the  Psalms  as  the  Song  Book  of  the  peo- 
ple. "  His  version  became  the  book  of  song  in  the 
castle  as  well  as  in  the  cottage,  for  recreation,  and  for 
at  work ;  the  lady  at  the  hall,  the  weaver  at  the  loom, 
the  peasant  at  the  plough,  the  first  lesson  taught  to 
children,  the  last  words  whispered  to  or  uttered  by  the 
dying  man."  I  was  reminded  of  the  astonishing  effect 
produced  by  the  French  innovation  by  the  influence 
which  the  Salvation  Army  songs  often  exercise  on  a 
population  which  hears  them  for  the  first  time.  It 
was  a  sight  to  see  and  not  to  forget,  —  a  string  of  cab- 
men at  a  north-country  station  sitting  on  a  fence,  sing- 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

ing  the  hymns  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  the  intervals 
between  the  trains. 

The  same  thing  was  observed  in  Germany  and  in 
Scotland.  Luther's  doctrine  would  have  fallen  com- 
paratively flat  had  not  his  psalms  and  hymns  given 
wings  to  his  teaching.  They  were  carried  all  over  the 
country  by  wandering  students  andpedlers,  and  became 
so  popular  that  they  even  found  their  way  into  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  so  that  a  Romanist  declared : 
"  The  whole  people  is  singing  itself  into  the  Lutheran 
doctrine." 

And  no  wonder;  for  Luther  was  one  of  the  first  to 
mark  the  great  truth  that  the  tune  is  more  important 
than  the  words.  With  him  the  tune  was  first,  the 
words  second.  Luther  fashioned  the  words  to  the 
tune.  "  The  rhythm  of  the  song  was  always  in  his 
ear  as  he  worked  on  it ;  he  carefully  fitted  the  syllables 
to  the  notes.  In  certain  places  it  is  seen  that  he  did 
violence  to  the  language  to  fit  it  to  the  exigencies  of 
the  music."  But  the  German  reformer  had  a  good 
notion  of  what  a  tune  should  be.     He  said :  — 

The  words  of  hymns  should  have  a  swing  and  a  good  strong 
metre,  so  that  the  congregation  might  catch  up  the  tune  to  join 
in  with  it.  Let  us  bid  good-bye  to  the  music  of  Gregory,  and 
take  the  common  songs  of  our  own  people,  as  they  sing  them 
at  harvests,  at  village  festivals,  at  weddings,  and  at  funerals, 
for  use  in  our  churches.  Man  can  as  well  praise  God  in  one 
tune  as  the  other,  and  it  is  a  pity  that  such  pretty  songs  as  these 
should  be  kept  any  longer  from  the  service  of  their  Maker. 

Mr.  Reginald  Brett  went  too  far  when  he  declared 
that  the  music  and  congregational  singing  were  the 
causes  of  emotion,  and  not  the  words  of  any  hymn  ;  but 
there  is  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Balfour  was  right  when  he 
said :  — 

One  of  the  great  merits  of  hymns  lies  in  the  associations 
which  attach  to  them,  from  which  it  follows  that  thev  cannot 
really  be  considered  apart  from  the  tunes  to  which  they  are 
habitually  set.    In  my  opinion,  the  editor  of  a  hymn-book  who 


INTRODUCTION.  1 3 

deliberately  divorces  old  words  from  their  accustomed  setting 
is  an  iconoclast  of  the  worst  order. 

I  hope  that  in  affixing  as  far  as  possible  the  old  fa- 
miliar tunes  to  this  collection,  I  may  escape  the  major 
excommunication. 

It  is  a  fashion  in  some  quarters  to  sneer  at  the  poeti- 
cal value  of  hymns.  A  glance,  however,  through  the 
pages  of  this  collection,  will  suffice  to  show  that,  while 
some  hymns  may  fall  far  below  the  standard  of  first-class 
poetry,  many,  if  not  the  majority,  will  fairly  rank  with 
the  best  verse  that  our  race  has  produced.  Modern 
hymnologists  are  no  longer  of  the  opinion  of  the  worthy 
men  who  compiled  a  hymn-book  for  one  of  the  straiter 
sects  of  orthodox  dissenters,  in  which  it  is  gravely  set 
forth  that  "poetry  itself  is  objectionable  as  bearing  the 
spirit  and  imagination  of  man."  On  this  I  am  glad  to 
have  Mrs.  Meynell's  mature  and  dispassionate  judgment 
against  the  disparaging  observations  of  Mr.  William 
Morris  and  Mr.  Coventry  Patmore.  Mrs.  Meynell 
says : — 

Hymns  have,  and  doubtless  always  will  have,  a  power  over 
men's  minds;  and  I  don't  wonder  at  it,  for  I  think  — against 
the  usual  literary  opinion  —  that  many  popular  hymns  are  very 
beautiful,  and  that  their  authors  made  literature  without  know- 
ing it.  Personally  I  have  none  of  those  early  associations  with 
hymns.  I  never  heard  any  in  my  childhood.  Consequently,  I 
think  1  have  been  touched  by  the  real  beauty  of  hymns,  and 
not  by  the  mere  accident  of  association. 

There  only  remains  one  word  to  say  as  to  the  ex- 
tremely broad  view  which  I  have  taken  of  my  duties  as 
an  editor.  Never  before  in  any  popular  hymnal  have 
hymns  to  the  Virgin  jostled  the  Confession  of  the  Jew- 
ish faith,  revolutionary  songs  elbowed  the  ancient  an- 
thems of  the  Church,  while  psalms  and  hymns  and 
spiritual  songs  of  all  countries  and  of  all  creeds  and  of 
none  stand  side  by  side  on  an  equal  footing,  each 
exhibiting  as  its  sole  credential  that  it  has  helped 
the  human  heart  to  love,  to  dare,  and  to  aspire,  and 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

strengthened  man  to  bear  his  part  worthily  in  the  war- 
fare of  life.  It  is  well  when  we  introduce  the  million 
to  the  study  of  comparative  religion  that  the  Religions 
should  be  on  their  best  behaviour.  All  religions  show 
their  best  manners  in  sacred  song.  But  until  this  little 
book  chanced  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  its  readers,  how 
many  of  them  were  utterly  oblivious  of  the  treasures  of 
beauty,  of  wisdom,  and  of  love  that  were  to  be  found 
outside  the  cover  of  the  hymn-book  of  their  own 
church  ?  Here  at  least  Roman,  Greek,  Lutheran,  Cal- 
vinist,  Methodist,  Unitarian,  and  Jew  are  recognisable 
only  by  the  common  accents  of  a  common  faith  in  the 
One  Father  in  Whose  family  all  we  are  brethren. 


PREFACE. 


THE  songs  of  the  English-speaking  people  are  for 
the  most  part  hymns.  For  the  immense  majority 
of  our  people  to-day  the  only  minstrelsy  is  that  of  the 
hymn-book.  And  this  is  as  true  of  our  race  beyond 
the  sea  as  it  is  of  our  race  at  home. 

Of  the  making  of  collections  of  hymns  there  is  no 
end.  But  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  discover,  no 
collection  of  hymns  has  ever  been  made  based  upon 
the  principle  of  including  in  it  only  those  hymns  which 
have  been  most  helpful  to  the  men  and  women  who 
have  most  influenced  their  fellow-men.  Yet  surely 
those  hymns  which  have  most  helped  the  greatest  and 
best  of  our  race  are  those  which  bear,  as  it  were,  the 
hall-mark  of  Heaven. 

The  root  idea  of  this  Hymnal  is  to  select  the  hymns, 
not  by  the  fine  or  finical  ear  of  the  critic  in  the  study, 
or  even  by  the  exalted  judgment  of  the  recluse  in  the 
cloister,  but  by  the  recorded  experience  of  mankind. 
Here  and  thus  did  this  hymn  help  me  :  that  is  the  best 
of  all  possible  arguments  in  favour  of  believing  that  it 
will  prove  helpful  under  similar  circumstances  to  simi- 
lar characters.  The  hymn  may  be  doggerel  poetry,  it 
may  contain  heretical  theology,  its  grammar  may  be 
faulty  and  its  metaphors  atrocious,  but  if  that  hymn 
proved  itself  a  staff  and  a  stay  to  some  heroic  soul  in 
the  darkest  hours  of  his  life's  pilgrimage,  then  that  hymn 
has  won  its  right  to  a  place  among  the  sacred  songs 
through  which  God  has  spoken  to  the  soul  of  man. 

Who  is  there  among  the  men  and  women  of  this 
generation  who  has  not,  at  some  time  or  other,  experi- 
enced the  strange  and  subtle  influence  of  sacred  song  ? 
Hymns  have  rung  in  the  ears  of  some  of  us  while  still 


1 6  PREFACE. 

wandering  idly  in  the  streets  of  the  City  of  Destruction, 
stern  and  shrill  as  the  bugle-blast  that  rouses  the  sleep- 
ing camp  to  prepare  for  the  onslaught  of  the  foe. 
Their  melody  has  haunted  the  ear  amid  the  murmur  of 
the  mart  and  the  roar  of  the  street.  In  the  storm  and 
stress  of  life's  battle  the  echo  of  their  sweet  refrain  has 
renewed  our  strength  and  dispelled  our  fears.  They 
have  been,  as  it  were,  the  voices  of  the  angels  of  God, 
and  when  we  have  heard  them  we  could  hear  no  other 
sound,  neither  the  growling  of  the  lions  in  the  path  nor 
the  curses  and  threatenings  of  the  fiends  from  the  pit. 
Around  the  hymn  and  the  hymn  tune  how  many  asso- 
ciations gather  from  the  earliest  days,  when,  as  infants, 
we  were  hushed  to  sleep  on  our  mother's  lap  by  their 
monotonous  chant !  At  this  moment,  on  the  slope  of 
the  Rockies,  or  in  the  sweltering  jungles  of  India,  in 
crowded  Australian  city,  or  secluded  English  hamlet, 
the  sound  of  some  simple  hymn  tune  will,  as  by  mere 
magic  spell,  call  from  the  silent  grave  the  shadowy 
forms  of  the  unforgotten  dead,  and  transport  the  listener, 
involuntarily,  over  land  and  sea,  to  the  scene  of  his 
childhood's  years,  to  the  village  school,  to  the  parish 
church.  In  our  pilgrimage  through  life  we  discover  the 
hymns  which  help.  We  come  out  of  trials  and  tempta- 
tions with  hymns  clinging  to  our  memory  like  burrs. 
Some  of  us  could  almost  use  the  hymn-book  as  the  key 
to  our  autobiography.  Hymns,  like  angels  and  other 
ministers  of  grace,  often  help  us  and  disappear  into  the 
void.  It  is  not  often  that  the  hymn  of  our  youth  is  the 
hymn  of  our  old  age.  Experience  of  life  is  the  natural 
selector  of  the  truly  human  hymnal. 

There  is  a  curious  and  not  a  very  creditable  shrinking 
on  the  part  of  many  to  testify  as  to  their  experience  in 
the  deeper  matters  of  the  soul.  It  is  an  inverted  ego- 
tism, —  selfishness  masquerading  in  disguise  of  reluc- 
tance to  speak  of  self.  Wanderers  across  the  wilderness 
of  Life  ought  not  to  be  chary  of  telling  their  fellow- 
travellers  where  they  found  the  green  oasis,  the  healing 
spring,  or  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  desert  land. 


PREFACE.  17 

It  is  not  regarded  as  egotism  when  the  passing  steamer 
signals  across  the  Atlantic  wave  news  of  her  escape 
from  perils  of  iceberg  or  fog,  or  welcome  news  of  good 
cheer.  Yet  individuals  shrink  into  themselves,  repress- 
ing rigorously  the  fraternal  instinct  which  bids  them 
communicate  the  fruits  of  their  experience  to  their  fel- 
lows. Therein  they  deprive  themselves  of  a  share  in 
the  communion  of  saints,  and  refuse  to  partake  with 
their  brother  of  the  sacramental  cup  of  human  sym- 
pathy, or  to  break  the  sacred  bread  of  the  deeper  ex- 
periences. 

M  Hymns  that  have  Helped  Me."  What  hymns  have 
helped  you  ?  And  if  they  have  helped  you,  how  can  you 
better  repay  the  debt  you  owe  to  your  helper  than  by 
setting  them  forth,  stamped  with  the  tribute  of  your 
gratitude,  to  help  other  mortals  in  like  straits  to  your- 
self ?  All  of  us  have  our  moments  when  we  are  near  to 
the  mood  of  the  hero  and  the  saint,  and  it  is  something 
to  know  what  hymns  help  most  to  take  us  there,  and 
keep  us  at  that  higher  pitch. 

Such  in  substance  was  my  appeal.  I  sent  it  out  in 
broadcast,  and  received  many  widely  varying  responses. 
Lord  Rosebery,  for  instance,  declined  "  confession  in 
general  "  to  the  public  on  the  subject.  The  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  referred  me  to  a  hymnal  which  he  him- 
self had  compiled  many  years  ago.  The  Prince  of 
Wales  indicated  his  preference  for  Mrs.  Adams'  well- 
known  hymn.  The  Dean  of  St.  Paul's  disapproved  of 
the  principle  of  the  hymn-book,  and  wrote  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

I  imagine  that  hymns  are  one  of  the  best  instruments  for  im- 
planting religious  ideas  in  the  minds  of  children,  and  as  I  can- 
not think  of  any  religion  that  can  have  the  desired  influence 
from  which  the  essential  doctrines  of  Christianity  are  excluded, 
I  must  decline  to  accept  your  courteous  invitation  to  take  part 
in  compiling  an  unsectarian  hymn  book. 

As  if  the  "essential  doctrines"    must   be    excluded 
because  the  Hymnal  is  unsectarian  ! 
Mr.  Grant  Allen  replied  :  — 


1 8  PREFACE. 

I  do  not  remember  that  any  hymn,  or,  for  the  matter  of  that, 
any  text  of  scripture,  maxim,  or  line  of  poetry,  was  ever  of  the 
least  use  to  me.  There  are  poems  which  I  love,  such  as  Shel- 
ley's "Skylark;"  but  I  cannot  honestly  say  they  ever 
"  helped  "  me.  I  never  needed  Help,  other  than  physical  or 
monetary.     My  own  philosophy  has  always  amply  sufficed  me. 

It  is  no  doubt  difficult  to  obtain  a  frank  and  full 
statement  as  to  the  "  Hymns  that  have  Helped  "  people, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  all  such  confessions  must  be  more 
or  less  autobiographical,  and  deal  with  the  hidden  mat- 
ters of  inner  spiritual  life.  The  Bishop  of  Winchester 
says : — 

I  agree  with  you  in  thinking  that  a  compilation  made  in  the 
manner  and  on  the  lines  proposed  will  have  a  special  interest, 
and,  subject  to  the  limitations  I  refer  to  in  this  note,  I  heartily 
wish  you  success  in  your  endeavour ;  but  I  am  not  quite  at  one 
with  you  in  regarding  it  to  be  the  duty  of  all  who  could  do  so 
to  tell  you  for  publication  not  merely  what  hymns  they  have 
found  helpful,  but  how,  and  where,  and  when  the  help  has 
been  given.  To  do  this  with  any  approach  to  completeness 
would  require  not  an  autobiography  only,  but  an  autobiography 
respecting  the  sins,  the  sorrows,  the  temptations,  and  the 
blessings  of  the  inner  life  of  each  one  of  us.  There  may  be  a 
few  men  who  can  make  such  thoughts  and  memory  public  with- 
out harm  to  themselves  or  others,  but  the  number  of  such  is 
small,  and  I  am  not  of  them. 


■j 


Mrs.  Humphry  Ward  goes  further  than  the  Bishop, 
and  maintains  that  she  cannot  help  saying  that  the 
question  she  is  asked  seems  to  her  to  be  just  that  one 
which  should  not  be  answered,  if  one  sets  any  value 
upon  religious  feeling  and  religious  life.  This  is  rather 
a  hard  saying,  coming  as  it  does  from  the  author  of 
"  Robert  Elsmere,"  which  is  a  more  or  less  successful 
attempt  to  unveil  the  hidden  movements  of  religious 
thought  and  religious  life  in  the  soul  of  her  hero  before 
the  eyes  of  the  million. 

Dr.  Rigg,  the  well-known  Wesleyan  Methodist  min- 
ister, noted  with  a  certain  grim  satisfaction  the  Metho- 
dist note  in  my  appeal  for  experiences,  and  made  me 


PREFACE.  19 

out  a  list  of  hymns  which  he  found  peculiarly  helpful 
as  customary  and  companion-aids  in  times  of  spiritual 
need.     He  said :  — 

In  my  list  of  hymns  I  do  not  include  such  hymns  or  religious 
poems  as  may  have  deeply  touched  my  sympathy  and  even  ex- 
pressed my  feelings,  but  yet  at  the  same  time  have  not  been  the 
means  of  lifting  me  above  myself  into  the  region  of  faith  or 
hope,  or  in  any  way  of  strengthening  me  against  my  moods  of 
despondency  or  weakness. 

One  eminent  philosopher  excused  himself  from  con- 
tributing on  grounds  characteristically  stated  in  the  fol- 
lowing letter :  — 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  fear  I  shall  be  unable  to  aid  you  in  the 
undertaking  described  in  your  letter  of  the  nth.  My  own 
experience  furnishes  no  examples  of  the  kind  you  wish.  If 
parents  had  more  sense  than  is  commonly  found  among  them, 
they  would  never  dream  of  setting  their  children  to  learn  hymns 
as  tasks.  With  me  the  effect  was  not  to  generate  any  liking 
for  this  or  that  hymn,  but  to  generate  a  dislike  for  hymns  at 
large.  The  process  of  learning  was  a  penalty,  and  the  feeling 
associated  with  that  penalty  became  a  feeling  associated  with 
hymns  in  general.  Hence  it  results  that  I  cannot  name  any 
"hymn  that  has  helped  me."  —  Faithfully  yours,  Herbert 
Spencer. 

On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Mark  Whitwell,  the  well- 
known  citizen  and  philanthropist  of  Bristol,  sends  me  a 
list  of  twenty-three  hymns,  all  of  which  he  committed 
to  memory  before  he  was  four  years  of  age.  He 
writes :  — 

I  really  enjoyed  learning  them  ;  it  was  a  real  pleasure  to  me, 
partly  because  it  gave  my  father  so  much  pleasure  to  hear  me 
repeat  them. 

For  my  own  part,  I  will  gladly  take  my  turn  with  the 
rest  in  testifying,  conscious  though  I  am  that  the  hymn 
which  helped  me  most  can  lay  no  claim  to  pre-eminent 
merit  as  poetry.  It  is  Newton's  hymn,  which  begins, 
"  Begone,  unbelief."  I  can  remember  my  mother  sing- 
ing it  when  I  was  a  tiny  boy,  barely  able  to  see  over  the 


20 


PREFACE. 


book-ledge  in  the  minister's  pew ;  and  to  this  day, 
whenever  I  am  in  doleful  dumps,  and  the  stars  in  their 
courses  appear  to  be  fighting  against  me,  that  one  dog- 
gerel verse  comes  back  clear  as  a  blackbird's  note 
through  the  morning  mist :  — 

His  love  in  time  past 

Forbids  me  to  think 
He  '11  leave  me  at  last 

In  trouble  to  sink. 

Each  sweet  Ebenezer 

I  have  in  review 
Confirms  his  good  pleasure 

To  help  me  quite  through. 

The  rhyme  is  bad  enough,  no  doubt ;  the  logic  may  or 
may  not  be  rational ;  but  the  verse  as  it  is,  with  all  its 
shortcomings,  has  been  as  a  life-buoy,  keeping  my  head 
above  the  waves  when  the  sea  raged  and  was  tem- 
pestuous, and  when  all  else  failed.  What  that  verse 
has  been  to  me,  other  verses  have  been  to  other  men 
and  other  women.  And  what  I  have  tried  to  do  in  this 
u  Penny  Hymnal  "  is  to  collate  from  the  multitudinous 
record  of  diversified  human  experience  the  hymns 
which  have  helped  most,  in  order  to  present  them  with 
some  record  of  how,  and  where,  and  when,  and  whom 
they  have  helped,  as  a  compendious  collection  for  the 
use  of  every  one. 

I  have  to  express  my  indebtedness  to  many  friends 
and  helpers  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  and 
women  who  have  communicated  with  me  on  the  sub- 
ject of"  Hymns  that  have  Helped."  The  books  which 
have  been  most  helpful  are  Julian's  monumental  "  Dic- 
tionary of  Hymns,"  Horder's  "  Hymn-Lover,"  Duf- 
field's  "  English  Hymns,"  Marson's  "  Psalms  at  Work," 
Dr.  Ker's  "  The  Psalms  in  History  and  Biography,"  and 
Stevenson's  "  Notes  on  the  Methodist  Hymn  Book." 

I  have  also  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the 
following  authors  or  owners  of  copyright  hymns  for 
permission  kindly  given  to  use  them  in  this  collection ; 


PREFACE. 


21 


To  the  Rev.  S.  Baring-Gould  for  "  Onward,  Christian 
Soldiers ; "  to  the  representatives  of  the  late  Dean 
Alford  for  the  use  of  "  Forward  be  our  Watchword  ;  " 
to  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  for 
the  use  of  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Bode's  hymn,  "  O  Jesu,  I  have 
promised,"  and  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Ellerton's  "Now  the 
labourer's  task  is  o'er ;  "  to  Mrs.  Blackie  for  Prof. 
Blackie's  hymn,  "  Angels  holy,  high  and  lowly  ; "  to 
the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  of  Exeter,  Dr.  Bickersteth,  for 
his  hymn,  "  Peace,  perfect  peace  ; "  to  the  Rev.  Father 
Neville  for  permission  to  use  Cardinal  Newman's  hymn, 
"  Lead,  kindly  Light ;  "  to  Dr.  Matheson  for  his  hymn, 
"  O  Love  that  will  not  let  me  go  ;  "  to  Canon  Twells 
for  "  At  Even,  ere  the  Sun  was  set ;  "  to  Messrs.  James 
Nisbet  and  Co.  for  kindly  consenting  to  the  use  of  sev- 
eral of  the  late  Dr.  Bonar's  hymns,  as  well  as  a  hymn 
by  Miss  Havergal ;  to  Mr.  Wm.  Isbister  for  the  late  Dr. 
Macleod's  hymn,  "  Courage,  Brother,  do  not  stumble  ;  " 
to  Mrs.  Linnaeus  Banks,  for  a  poem  by  her  late  hus- 
band ;  to  Messrs.  Morgan  and  Scott  for  seven  hymns 
from  "  Sacred  Songs  and  Solos ; "  to  Messrs.  Burns 
and  Oates  for  certain  of  the  Latin  translations  given  in 
the  earlier  part  of  this  collection  ;  and  finally  to  Mr. 
Herbert  Booth,  for  his  hymn,  "  Blessed  Lord,  in  Thee  is 
Refuge." 

I  hope  I  may  be  pardoned  if,  in  spite  of  all  efforts 
to  discover  the  owners  of  copyright,  I  have  unwittingly 
infringed  any  copyright,  or  failed  to  acknowledge  my 
indebtedness  for  the  use  of  these  hymns. 


Hymns   that   Have   Helped 


I.  —  Praise. 

J  — THE  TE  DEUM. 

The  Te  Deum  properly  stands  first  in  any  collection  of 
Hymns  that  Helped.  For  it  is  the  most  catholic  of 
hymns,  one  of  the  oldest  and  one  of  the  most  univer- 
sally used  by  the  entire  Western  Church.  What  God 
Save  the  Queen  has  been  for  a  century  or  more  to 
modern  England,  the  Te  Deum  has  been  to  Christen- 
dom, divided  and  undivided,  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years.  It  was  chanted  at  the  baptism  of  Clovis,  and  it 
was  sung  at  the  Jubilee  of  Queen  Victoria.  It  was 
in  regular  use  as  a  Sunday  morning  hymn  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixth  century,  and  it  was  chanted  the  other 
day  at  the  coronation  of  Nicholas  II.  at  Moscow.  No 
other  hymn  of  praise  has  been  by  such  universal  con- 
sent set  apart  as  the  supreme  expression  of  the  over- 
flowing gratitude  of  the  human  heart.  According  to 
the  precise  ritual  of  the  Roman  Church,  it  must  be 
sung  at  the  three  supreme  acts  of  solemn  worship,  — 
the  Consecration  of  a  Bishop,  the  Coronation  of  a 
King,  and  the  Consecration  of  a  Virgin.  To  these 
have  been  added  others,  —  the  Election  of  a  Pope,  the 
Canonization  of  a  Saint,  the  publication  of  a  Treaty  of 
Peace,  or  the  conclusion  of  a  Treaty  of  Alliance  in 
favour  of  the  Church.  It  has  from  of  old  figured  in 
our  coronation  service,  and  whenever  the  national  heart 
is  stirred  by  some  great  deliverance  by  hard-won  vic- 
tory on  sea  or  land,  or  by  the  recovery  of  some  beloved 


24  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

sovereign,  or  any  other  event  which  causes  the  common 
universal  heart  to  throb,  there  and  then  is  the  Te  Deum 
sung.  After  the  fifth  Harry  had  won  the  battle  of 
Agincourt,  he  cried  :  — 

"  Do  we  all  holy  rites,  Let  there  be  sung 
Non  Nobis,  and  Te  Deum." 

As  it  was  sung  after  Agincourt,  so  it  was  sung  after 
Waterloo,  and  will  be  sung  after  other  victories  yet 
unfought  by  generations  yet  unborn.  Whenever  the 
hearts  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  West  throb  high 
with  emotions  of  gratitude  too  deep  for  non-rhythmic 
words,  it  is  to  the  Te  Deum  that  they  turn  for  help  ; 
there  alone  have  they  for  generation  after  generation 
found  adequate  expression.  Of  versions  of  the  Te 
Deum  there  are  as  many  as  there  are  languages  spoken 
by  man.  In  this  collection,  which  is  popular  and  not 
critical,  I  follow,  for  the  Latin,  the  text  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Service  Book,  and,  for  the  English,  the  version 
of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

WE  praise  Thee,  O  God:  we  acknowledge 
Thee  to  be  the  Lord. 

All  the  earth  doth  worship  Thee,  the  Father 
everlasting. 

To  Thee  all  angels  cry  aloud :  the  heavens  and 
all  the  powers  therein. 

To  Thee  Cherubin  and  Seraphin  continually  do 
cry, 

Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth ; 

Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  the  majesty  of  Thy 
glory. 

The  glorious  company  of  the  Apostles  praise 
Thee. 

The  goodly  fellowship  of  the  Prophets  praise 
Thee. 

The  noble  army  of  Martyrs  praise  Thee. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  2$ 

The  holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world  doth 
acknowledge  Thee ; 

The  Father  of  an  Infinite  Majesty; 

Thine  honourable,  true,  and  only  Son; 

Also  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Comforter. 

Thou  art  the  King  of  Glory,  O  Christ. 

Thou  art  the  everlasting  Son  of  the  Father. 

When  thou  tookest  upon  Thee  to  deliver  man, 
Thou  didst  not  abhor  the  Virgin's  womb. 

When  Thou  hadst  overcome  the  sharpness  of 
death,  Thou  didst  open  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to 
all  believers. 

Thou  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  in  the 
glory  of  the  Father. 

We  believe  that  Thou  shalt  come  to  be  our 
Judge. 

We  therefore  pray  Thee,  help  Thy  servants 
whom  Thou  hast  redeemed  with  Thy  precious 
blood. 

Make  them  to  be  numbered  with  Thy  saints  in 
glory  everlasting. 

O  Lord,  save  Thy  people,  and  bless  Thine 
heritage. 

Govern  them,  and  lift  them  up  for  ever. 

Day  by  day  we  magnify  Thee ; 

And  we  worship  Thy  name  ever  world  without 
end. 

Vouchsafe,  O  Lord,  to  keep  us  this  day  without 
sin. 

O  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  have  mercy  upon 
us. 

O  Lord,  let  Thy  mercy  lighten  upon  us,  as  our 
trust  is  in  Thee. 

O  Lord,  in  Thee  have  I  trusted,  let  me  never  be 
confounded. 


26  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

TE  Deum  laudamus  :  te  Dominum  confitemur. 
Te  asternum  Patrem  :  omnis  terra  veneratur. 

Tibi  omnes  Angeli :  tibi  coeli,  et  universal  potes- 
tates. 

Tibi   Cherubim  et    Seraphim ;    incessabili   voce 
proclamant, 

Sanctus,  Sanctus,  Sanctus:  Dominus  Deus  Sab- 
aoth; 

Pleni  sunt  cceli  et  terra:  majestatis  gloriae  tuae. 

Te  gloriosus  :  Apostolorum  chorus. 

Te  Prophetarum  :  laudabilis  numerus. 

Te  Marty  rum  candidatus :  laudat  exercitus. 

Te  per  orbem  terrarum  :  sancta  confitetur  Eccle- 
sia; 

Patrem:  immensae  majestatis; 

Venerandum  tuum  verum :  et  unicum  Filium. 

Sanctum  quoque  :  Paraclitum  Spiritum. 

Tu  Rex  glorias  :   Christe. 

Tu  Patris :  sempiternus  es  Filius. 

Tu  ad  liberandum   suscepturus   hominem :    non 
horruisti  Virginis  uterum. 

Tu  devicto  mortis  aculeo :  aperuisti  credentibus 
regna  ccelorum. 

Tu  ad  dexteram  Dei  sedes :  in  gloria  Patris. 

Judex  crederis  :  esse  venturus. 

Te  ergo  quaesumus,  tuis  famulis  subveni :   quos 
pretioso  sanguine  redemisti. 

yEterna  fac  cum  Sanctis  tuis:  in  gloria  numerari. 

Salvum  fac  populum  tuum,  Domine:  et  benedic 
haereditati  tuae. 

Et  rege  eos :  et  extolle  illos,  usque  in  aeternum. 

Persingulos  dies:  beriedicimus  te. 

Et  laudamus  nomen   tuum   in  saeculum :    et  in 
saeculum  sasculi 

Dignare,   Domine,  die   isto:   sine   peccatis  nos 
custodire. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


27 


Miserere  nostri,  Domine :  miserere  nostri. 

Fiat  misericordia  tua,  Domine,  supernos  :  quem- 
admodum  speravimus  in  te. 

In  te,  Domine,  speravi:  non  confundar  in  aeter- 
num. 

Very  shortly  before  her  decease,  Mrs.  Charles,  the 
author  of  the  "  Schonberg-Cotta  Family,"  "  Songs,  Old 
and  New,"  and  "  The  Voice  of  Christian  Life  and 
Song,"  wrote  me,  in  reply  to  my  inquiry  as  to  which 
hymns  had  helped  her,  saying  :  "  The  Te  Deum,  with 
its  glorious  objectiveness,  its  tender  humility,  and  its 
note  of  hope,  has,  perhaps,  helped  me  and  inspired  me 
through  life  more  than  any  other  hymn." 

As  some  Nonconformists  may  possibly  object  to  the 
inclusion  of  such  pieces  as  the  Te  Deum  and  the  Mag- 
nificat in  a  collection  of  hymns,  I  may  quote  a  line 
from  the  Rev.  Hugh  Price  Hughes'  letter  to  me,  in 
which  he  says  :  "  I  hope  that  in  any  book  you  publish 
you  will  include  the  Te  Deum,  in  many  respects  the 
most  majestic  as  well  as  the  most  venerable  hymn  of 
the  Christian  Church." 

There  is,  of  course,  another  side  to  this.  If  the  Te 
Deum  has  been  used  to  express  the  gratitude  of  man 
for  crowning  mercies,  it  has  often  been  used  as  a  kind 
of  Christian  war-whoop  over  fallen  foes.  If  our  fore- 
fathers sang  it  with  full  hearts  when  England  was  de- 
livered from  the  fell  menace  of  the  Armada,  it  was  also 
chanted  at  Rome  in  honour  of  the  massacre  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew.    If,  as  an  ancient  heathen  poet  declared,  — 

"  Unholy  is  the  sound 
Of  loud  thanksgiving  over  slaughtered  men," 

impious  indeed  must  have  been  the  exultant  strains 
that  have  gone  up  on  high  over  the  hecatombs  of  the 
battlefield.  But  this  prostitution  of  the  great  Christian 
hymn  in  the  service  of  un-Christian  statecraft  and  scep- 
tred murder  has  probably  never  been  better  exposed 
than  by  Kinglake  in  his  memorable  description  of  the 


28    HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Te  Deum  in  Notre  Dame,  "  that  historic  pile  which 
stands  mocking  the  lapse  of  ages  and  the  strange  check- 
ered destiny  of  France."  Napoleon,  fresh  from  the 
massacre  of  the  Boulevards,  his  lips  reeking  with  per- 
jury, and  his  hands  all  red  with  blood,  came  "into  the 
presence  of  God." 

"  When  the  Church  perceived  that  the  swearer  of 
the  oath  and  all  his  associates  were  ready,  she  began 
her  service.  Having  robes  whereon  all  down  the  back 
there  was  embroidered  the  figure  of  a  cross,  and  being, 
it  would  seem,  without  fear,  the  bishops  and  priests 
went  up  to  the  high  altar  and  scattered  rich  incense,  and 
knelt  and  rose,  and  knelt  and  rose  again.  Then,  in  the 
hearing  of  thousands,  there  pealed  through  the  aisles 
that  hymn  of  praise  which  purports  to  waft  into  heaven 
the  thanksgivings  of  a  whole  people  for  some  new  and 
signal  mercy  vouchsafed  to  them  by  Almighty  God.  It 
was  because  of  what  had  been  done  to  France  within 
the  last  thirty  days  that  the  hosannas  arose  in  Notre 
Dame.  Moreover,  the  priests  lifted  their  voices  and 
cried  aloud,  chanting  and  saying  to  the  Most  High, 
'  Domine,  salvum  fac  Ludovicum  Napoleonem,'  — 
O  Lord !    save  Louis  Napoleon. 

"  What  is  good,  and  what  is  evil  ?  and  who  is  it  that 
deserves  the  prayers  of  a  nation  ?  If  any  man,  being 
scrupulous  and  devout,  was  moved  by  the  events  of 
December  to  ask  these  questions  of  his  Church,  he  was 
answered  that  day  in  the  Cathedral  of  Our  Lady  in 
Paris."  1 

2  — THE  ENGLISH  TE  DEUM. 

If  the  Te  Deum  be  the  Hymn  of  Praise  set  apart  by 
the  Universal  Church  as  the  supreme  expression  of 
gratitude  and  adoration,  the  hymn  which  serves  the 
same  purpose  in  English  congregations  is  "  All  Hail 
the  Power  of  Jesu's  Name."  It  is  one  of  the  ten  hymns 
most  used  in  English-speaking  lands.     It  was  written 

1  History  of  Crimean  War,  vol.  i.  p.  335. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


29 


near  the  close  of  last  century  by  E.  Perronet,  a  min- 
ister of  Lady  Huntingdon's  Connection,  but  was  subse- 
quently much  revised  by  Dr.  Rippon  and  others.  The 
form  most  commonly  used  is  as  follows  :  — 

ALL  hail  the  power  of  Jesu's  name  ! 
Let  angels  prostrate  fall ; 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem, 
And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all. 

Let  high-born  seraphs  tune  the  lyre, 

And,  as  they  tune  it,  fall 
Before  His  face  who  tunes  their  choir, 

And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all. 

Crown  Him,  ye  martyrs  of  your  God, 

Who  from  his  altar  call ; 
Extol  the  stem  from  Jesse's  rod, 

And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all. 

Ye  seed  of  Israel's  chosen  race, 

Ye  ransomed  from  the  Fall, 
Hail  Him  who  saves  you  by  His  grace, 

And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all. 

Sinners  !  whose  love  can  ne'er  forget 

The  wormwood  and  the  gall, 
Go,  spread  your  trophies  at  His  feet, 

And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all. 

Let  every  kindred,  every  tribe, 

On  this  terrestrial  ball, 
To  Him  all  majesty  ascribe, 

And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all. 

O  that  with  yonder  sacred  throng 

We  at  His  feet  may  fall, 
Join  in  the  everlasting  song, 

And  crown  Him  Lord  of  all! 

Tune  —  "Miles  Lane." 


30  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE  HELPED. 


3  — THE   SCOTCH   TE   DEUM. 

The  Scotch  Church  for  nearly  three  hundred  years 
refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  human  hymns, 
papistical  Te  Deums,  and  the  like.  But  in  the  metrical 
version  of  the  Hundredth  Psalm,  the  men  of  North 
Britain  found  a  practical  substitute  which  stood  them 
in  good  stead  as  a  vehicle  for  the  expression  of  their 
usually  repressed  emotions.  It  was  written  by  W.  Kethe 
in  1560-61,  to  fit  the  tune  in  the  Genevan  Psalter  now 
known  as  the  Old  Hundredth. 

It  is  one  of  the  few  Psalms  to  which   Shakespeare 
makes  reference  in  his  plays. 

ALL  people  that  on  earth  do  dwell, 
Sing  to  the  Lord  with  cheerful  voice : 
Him  serve  with  mirth,  His  praise  forth  tell; 
Come  ye  before  Him  and  rejoice. 

Know  ye,  the  Lord  is  God  indeed ; 

Without  our  aid  He  did  us  make; 
We  are  His  flock,  He  doth  us  feed; 

And  for  His  sheep  He  doth  us  take. 

Oh  enter  then  His  gates  with  praise, 
Approach  with  joy  His  courts  unto; 

Praise,  laud,  and  bless  His  name  always, 
For  it  is  seemly  so  to  do. 

For  why  ?  the  Lord  our  God  is  good, 

His  mercy  is  for  ever  sure ; 
His  truth  at  all  times  firmly  stood, 

And  shall  from  age  to  age  endure. 

Tune— "Old  Hundredth." 

Longfellow  refers  to  the  New  England  settlers 

"  Singing    the   Hundredth    Psalm,    that  grand    old   Puritan 
anthem." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  3 1 

The  Rev.  James  Campbell,  of  Dublin,  says :  "  The 
magnificent  version  of  the  Hundredth,  set  to  Luther's 
majestic  tune,  has  wedded  Lutherans  and  Calvinists  to 
eternity,  and  girdled  the  earth  with  sweet  and  stately 
praise." 

4 -THE   GERMAN    TE    DEUM. 

Rinkart's  hymn,  "Nun  Danket  alle  Gott,"  comes 
second  only  to  Luther's  "  Em'  feste  Burg."  The  latter 
is  a  hymn  of  combat  and  of  resolution  to  battle  to  the 
end,  the  former  an  outburst  of  gratitude.  It  is  a  para- 
phrase of  two  verses  of  Ecclesiasticus,  and  in  verse  3 
of  one  verse  of  the  Gloria  Patri.  It  has  been  used 
since  1648  as  the  German  Te  Deum  at  all  national  fes- 
tivals of  war  and  of  peace.  It  was  sung  by  the  army  of 
Frederick  the  Great  after  the  Prussians  had  won  the 
Battle  of  Leuthen,  and  it  was  constantly  sung  in  the  last 
Franco-Prussian  War.  It  was  also  sung  at  the  cere- 
mony that  marked  the  completion  of  Cologne  Cathe- 
dral and  at  the  laying  of  the  foundation-stone  of  the 
new  Reichstag. 

Mendelssohn  introduces  "  Nun  Danket "  into  his 
"  Hymn  of  Praise."  The  following  translation  is  by 
Catherine  Winkworth  :  — 

NOW  thank  we  all  our  God, 
With  heart,  and  hands,  and  voices, 
Who  wondrous  things  hath  done, 
In  Whom  His  world  rejoices; 
Who  from  our  mothers'  arms 
Hath  blessed  us  on  our  way 
With  countless  gifts  of  love, 
And  still  is  ours  to-day. 

O  may  this  bounteous  God 
Through  all  our  life  be  near  us, 

With  ever  joyful  hearts 
And  blessed  peace  to  cheer  us ; 


32  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

And  keep  us  in  his  grace, 

And  guide  us  when  perplex'd, 

And  free  us  from  all  ills 
In  this  world  and  the  next. 

All  praise  and  thanks  to  God 
The  Father  now  be  given, 

The  Son,  and  Him  who  reigns 
With  them  in  highest  Heaven, 
The  One  eternal  God, 

Whom  earth  and  Heav'n  adore, 
For  thus  it  was,  is  now, 
And  shall  be  evermore.     Amen. 

Tune — "  Wittemburg,"  sometimes  called  "Nun 
Danket." 

5— THE   DOXOLOGY. 

Probably  no  other  verse  is  so  often  sung  by  Chris- 
tians of  all  denominations  as  this  brief  outburst  of 
praise  and  gratitude ;  and  yet  the  glad  devotion  ex- 
pressed in  any  of  the  numerous  adaptations  never  fails 
to  kindle  an  audience.  Originally  written  as  the  clos- 
ing stanzas  of  "  Awake  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun," 
the  author,  Bishop  Ken  (1637-1711),  derived  so  much 
benefit  from  the  use  of  it  in  his  morning  devotions  that 
he  added  it  to  his  now  equally  famous  evening  hymn, 
"  Glory  to  Thee,  my  God,  this  night."  It  was  the  habit 
of  this  saintly  sufferer  to  accompany  his  ever  cheerful 
voice  with  the  lute  which  penetrated  beyond  his  prison 
walls  ;  and  the  oft-repeated  song  of  praise,  which  was 
soon  taken  up  by  his  religious  sympathisers  listening 
without,  has  gone  on  singing  itself  into  the  hearts  of 
Christians  until  the  fragment  has  very  nearly  ap- 
proached the  hymn  universal. 

During  revivals  it  is  sometimes  the  custom  to  sing  it 
after  every  conversion.  Once  at  Sheffield,  England, 
under   Billy  Dawson,  they  sang  it  thirty-five  times  in 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.  33 

one  evening.  It  is  frequently  the  last  articulate  sound 
that  is  heard  from  the  lips  of  the  dying,  and  it  is  not 
less  frequently  the  expression  of  intense  gratitude  of 
the  living  in  the  moments  when  life  throbs  and  swells 
most  exultantly  in  the  breast. 

PRAISE  God  from  Whom  all  blessings  flow  ! 
Praise  Him,  all  creatures  here  below! 
Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  host ! 
Praise  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ! 


6— HEBER'S  TRINITY-SUNDAY  HYMN. 

The  Head  Master  of  Harrow,  after  mentioning  the 
three  hymns  which  had  helped  him  most,  said  :  "  I 
put  them  in  what  may  be  called  an  order  of  merit  as 
follows:  —  1.  'Hark,  my  soul,  it  is  the  Lord.'  2.  'O 
God,  our  help  in  ages  past.'  3.  '  Rock  of  Ages,  cleft 
for  me.'  Perhaps  you  will  let  me  add  that  Bishop 
Heber's  Trinity-Sunday  Hymn,  '  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord 
God  Almighty,'  though  it  cannot  be  said  to  have  given 
me  most  help,  yet  is  in  my  judgment  the  finest  hymn 
ever  written,  considering  the  abstract  difficult  nature  of 
its  theme,  its  perfect  spirituality,  and  the  devotion  and 
purity  of  its  language.  The  late  Poet  Laureate  once 
told  me  he  thought  so  too." 

HOLY,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty  ! 
Early  in  the  morning  our  song  shall  rise  to 
Thee ; 
Holy,  holy,  holy,  merciful  and  mighty  ! 
God  in  Three  Persons,  blessed  Trinity  ! 

Holy,  holy,  holy !  all  the  saints  adore  Thee, 

Casting  down  their  golden  crowns  around   the 
glassy  sea, 

Cherubim  and  Seraphim  falling  down  before  Thee, 
Which  wert,  and  art,  and  evermore  shalt  be. 


34  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Holy,  holy,  holy !  though  the  darkness  hioV  Thee, 
Though  the   eye  of  sinful  man  Thy  glory  may 
not  see, 

Only  Thou  art  holy,  there  is  none  beside  Thee, 
Perfect  in  power,  in  love,  and  purity. 

Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty ! 

All  Thy  works  shall  praise  Thy  name  in  earth 
and  sky  and  sea; 
Holy,  holy,  holy,  merciful  and  mighty ! 
God  in  Three  Persons,  blessed  Trinity. 

Tune  —  "  Nic/ea." 

7  — MILTON'S  PSALM  OF  PRAISE 
(J7th  Century), 

Milton,  our  greatest  poet  save  one,  wrote  only  one 
hymn  that  has  been  found  to  help  men  —  as  a  hymn. 
It  is  a  paraphrase  of  Psalm  cxxxvi.  written  when  he 
was  a  boy  of  fifteen  at  St.  Paul's  School,  and  its  length  — 
twenty-four  stanzas  —  precludes  its  general  use.  Those 
verses  found  most  helpful  by  general  usage  are  the 
following  :  — 

LET  us,  with  a  gladsome  mind, 
Praise  the  Lord,  for  He  is  kind: 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

Let  us  sound  His  name  abroad. 
For  of  gods  He  is  the  God  : 
For  His  mercies  aye  enduce, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

He,  with  all  commanding  might, 
Filled  the  new-made  world  with  light: 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.     35 

He  the  golden-tressed  sun 
Caused  all  day  his  course  to  run: 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

All  things  living  He  doth  feed  : 
His  full  hand  supplies  their  need: 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

He  His  chosen  race  did  bless, 
In  the  wasteful  wilderness : 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

He  hath,  with  a  piteous  eye, 
Looked  upon  our  misery  : 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

Let  us,  then,  with  gladsome  mind, 
Praise  the  Lord,  for  He  is  kind : 
For  His  mercies  aye  endure, 
Ever  faithful,  ever  sure. 

Tune —  "Innocents." 

8  —  ADDISON'S  "  GRATITUDE  n  (18th  Century). 

"  I  perceive,"  said  Mr.  Andrew  Lang  recently,  "  that 
either  the  best  English  poets  have  not  written  hymns, 
or  that  their  hymns  are  unpopular  with  readers  of  the 
Sunday  at  Home."  Yet  Milton  was  represented,  and 
Cow  per  and  Keble  and  Newman.  Addison  can  hardly 
claim  to  be  one  of  the  best  English  poets,  although  he 
is  one  of  the  most  famous  essayists ;  but  his  contribu- 
tions to  Hymns  that  have  Helped  are  by  no  means  un- 
important.    Of  these  one  of  the  most  generally  used  is 


36 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


his  poem  originally  published  in  the  Spectator  at  the 
close  of  an  essay  on  gratitude.1 

WHEN  all  Thy  mercies,  O  my  God, 
My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view,  I  'm  lost 
In  wonder,  love,  and  praise. 

Oh  how  shall  words  with  equal  warmth 

The  gratitude  declare, 
That  glows  within  my  thankful  heart? 

But  Thou  canst  read  it  there. 

Thy  providence  my  life  sustained, 

And  all  my  wants  redressed, 
When  in  the  silent  womb  I  lay, 

And  hung  upon  the  breast. 

Unnumbered  comforts  on  my  soul 

Thy  tender  care  bestowed, 
Before  my  infant  heart  conceived 

From  whom  those  comforts  flowed. 

When  in  the  slippery  paths  of  youth 

With  heedless  steps  I  ran, 
Thine  arm,  unseen,  conveyed  me  safe, 

And  led  me  up  to  man. 

1  On  the  appearance  of  the  first  edition  of  this  work  a  cor- 
respondent wrote  calling  my  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  the 
Athenceum  of  July  10,  1880,  and  in  the  Phonetic  "Journal  of 
March  12,  1887,  it  was  conclusively  proved  that  the  author  of 
this  hymn  was  not  Addison,  but  one  Richard  Richmond,  rector 
of  Walton  on-the-Hill,  Lancashire,  1 690-1 720.  On  the  other 
hand,  Mr.  T.  M.  Healy,  M.  P.,  wrote  saying  that  the  late  Sir 
Isaac  Pitman,  in  an  interesting  inquiry  as  to  the  authorship  of 
this  hymn  and  the  other  attributed  to  Addison  on  page  232. 
claimed  both  as  the  work  of  Andrew  Marvel,  the  "incorrup- 
tible Commoner." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  2>7 

When  worn  with  sickness,  oft  hast  Thou 

With  health  renewed  my  face  ; 
And,  when  in  sins  and  sorrows  sunk, 

Revived  my  soul  with  grace. 

Ten  thousand  thousand  precious  gifts 

My  daily  thanks  employ; 
Nor  is  the  least  a  cheerful  heart, 

That  tastes  those  gifts  with  joy. 

Through  every  period  of  my  life 

Thy  goodness  I  '11  pursue  ; 
And,  after  death,  in  distant  worlds, 

The  glorious  theme  renew. 

Through  all  eternity  to  Thee 

A  joyful  song  I  '11  raise : 
But  Oh  !  eternity  's  too  short 

To  utter  all  Thy  praise. 

Tune — "St.  Peter's." 

9  — PROFESSOR  BLACKIE'S  CHANT  OF 
PRAISE  (J9th  Century). 

The  late  Professor  Blackie  wrote  much  that  is  forgot- 
ten, but  his  Chant  of  Praise  will  live.  It  was  sent  me 
by  one  who  had  felt  the  glory  and  inspiration  of  its 
nature-worship  cheer  him  like  a  sea-breeze.  It  is  the 
nineteenth-century  version  of  the  sentiment  which 
Milton  expressed  in  the  seventeenth  and  Addison  in 
the  eighteenth,  each  in  the  mode  of  his  day  and  gener- 
ation. 

ANGELS  holy, 
High  and  lowly, 
Sing  the  praises  of  the  Lord  ! 
Earth  and  sky,  all  living  nature, 
Man,  the  stamp  of  thy  Creator, 

Praise  ye,  praise  ye,  God  the  Lord ! 


38    HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Sun  and  moon  bright, 
Night  and  moonlight, 
Starry  temples  azure-floored ; 
Cloud  and  rain,  and  wild  winds'  madness, 
Sons  of  God  that  shout  for  gladness, 
Praise  ye,  praise  ye,  God  the  Lord ! 

Ocean  hoary, 
Tell  His  glory, 
Cliffs,  where  tumbling  seas  have  roared  ! 
Pulse  of  waters,  blithely  beating, 
Wave  advancing,  wave  retreating, 
Praise  ye,  praise  ye,  God  the  Lord ! 

Rock  and  high  land, 
Wood  and  island, 
Crag,  where  eagle's  pride  hath  soared ; 
Mighty  mountains,  purple-breasted, 
Peaks  cloud-cleaving,  snowy-crested, 
Praise  ye,  praise  ye,  God  the  Lord! 

Rolling  river, 
Praise  Him  ever, 
From  the  mountain's  deep  vein  poured  ; 
Silver  fountain,  clearly  gushing, 
Troubled  torrent,  madly  rushing, 
Praise  ye,  praise  ye,  God  the  Lord ! 

Bond  and  free  man, 
Land  and  seaman, 
Earth,  with  peoples  widely  stored, 
Wanderer  lone  o'er  prairies  ample, 
Full-voiced  choir,  in  costly  temple, 
Praise  ye,  praise  ye,  God  the  Lord ! 

Praise  Him  ever, 
Bounteous  Giver ; 
Praise  Him,  Father,  Friend,  and  Lord! 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.  39 

Each  glad  soul  its  free  course  winging, 
Each  glad  voice  its  free  song  singing, 
Praise  the  great  and  mighty  Lord ! 

The  Rev.  Richard  A.  Armstrong,  of  Liverpool,  says : 
11  To  my  mind  this  is  one  of  the  noblest  bits  of  nature- 
painting  in  literature.  I  always  give  it  out  to  my  people 
after  holiday-making  in  Norway  or  Scotland,  and  the 

Mighty  mountains,  purple-breasted, 
Peaks  cloud-cleaving,  snowy-crested, 

rise  up  in  vision  before  us  again  in  glory.  It  is  pagan- 
ism, perhaps,  but  it  is  paganism  through  which  thrills 
the  presence  of  the  God  of  Christ." 

This  poem  of  Blackie  is  at  least  not  open  to  the 
objection  taken  by  Charles  Kingsley  to  many  hymns. 
Kingsley  says  :  "  How  often  is  the  tone  in  which  hymns 
speak  of  the  natural  world  one  of  dissatisfaction,  dis- 
trust, almost  contempt.  'Change  and  decay  in  all 
around  I  see,'  is  their  keynote  rather  than  '  O  all  ye 
works  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord,  praise  Him,  and 
magnify  Him  for  ever.'" 

An  anonymous  writer,  in  whose  sentiments  Kingsley 
would  have  rejoiced,  wrote  a  poem  entitled  "  The 
Voice  of  Health,"  in  illustration  of  the  words,  "  The 
living  he  shall  praise  Thee."  There  are  six  stanzas,  one 
of  which  will  suffice  to  give  the  keynote  :  — 

'Tis  when  youth's  fervour  fills  the  veins, 
And  new-born  hopes  rejoice  the  heart, 

And  health  within  and  round  us  reigns, 
We  best  believe  Thee  as  Thou  art. 

IL  —  National  Hymns* 

JO  — GOD  SAVE  THE  QUEEN. 

OD  save  our  gracious  Queen, 


G 


Long  live  our  noble  Queen  ; 
God  save  the  Queen  ! 


40  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Send  her  victorious, 
Happy  and  glorious, 
Long  to  reign  over  us, 
God  save  the  Queen  ! 

O  Lord  our  God,  arise, 
Scatter  her  enemies, 

And  make  them  fall. 
Confound  their  politics  ! 
Frustrate  their  knavish  tricks; 
On  her  our  hopes  we  fix ! 

God  save  us  all ! 

Thy  choicest  gifts  in  store, 
On  her  be  pleased  to  pour; 

Long  may  she  reign  ! 
May  she  defend  our  laws, 
And  ever  give  us  cause 
To  sing  with  heart  and  voice, 

God  save  the  Queen  ! 

Tune —  "  The  National  Anthem." 

It  is  one  of  the  ironies  of  history  that  the  first  trace 
that  can  be  discovered  of  the  singing  of  the  English 
National  Anthem,  imploring  Divine  help  for  the  reign- 
ing monarch,  was  an  occasion  when  its  petition  was 
most  conspicuously  refused.  In  1688,  when  William  of 
Orange  was  busy  with  his  preparations  in  aid  of  the 
conspiracy  against  the  Stuart  dynasty,  a  Latin  chorus 
was  sung  in  the  private  chapel  of  James  II.,  which  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  original  of  the  famous  anthem. 
We  can  well  imagine  the  fervour  with  which  James  II. 
and  his  devout  satellites  joined  in  the  petition  thus 
voiced  by  the  choir :  — 

O  Deus  Optime !  Exurgat  Dominus  ; 

Salvum  nunc  facito  Rebelles  dissipet, 

Regem  nostrum ;  Et  reprimat ; 

Sit  laeta  victoria  Dolos  confundito  ; 

Comes  et  gloria,  Fraudes  depellito ; 

Salvum  jam  facito  In  te  sit  sita  spes 
Tu  Dominum.  O  !  salva  nos. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    4 1 

Salvation,  however,  was  not  vouchsafed  the  Stuart  dy- 
nasty. Before  the  year  was  out,  it  was  King  James  who 
was  sent  packing,  and  William  of  Orange  reigned  in 
his  stead.  Then,  as  if  to  keep  up  the  irony,  the  song 
disappeared  altogether  until  the  Pretender  in  1745  at- 
tempted by  the  aid  of  his  faithful  Scots  to  regain  the 
crown  his  ancestor  had  lost.  Then  the  self-same  musi- 
cal prayer,  first  used,  all  unavailing,  on  behalf  of  James 
II.,  was  revived  in  order  to  serve  as  the  Battle  Hymn  of 
the  usurper  who  sat  on  his  throne.  Twelve  days  after 
the  proclamation  of  the  Pretender  in  September,  1745, 
at  Edinburgh,  "  God  Save  the  King  "  was  sung  with 
tumultuous  enthusiasm  at  Drury  Lane,  and  from  that 
hour  to  this  it  has  held  the  first  place  among  the  na- 
tional anthems  of  the  world. 

Twenty-one  years  later  it  was  adopted  as  a  national 
air  in  Denmark.  In  1793,  as  Heil  Dir  im  Siegerkrantz, 
it  became  the  national  anthem  of  Prussia.  About  the 
middle  of  the  present  century  the  air  was  fitted  by  C.  T. 
Brooks  to  the  American  National  Anthem,  "America," 
beginning :  — 

God  bless  our  native  land ! 
Firm  may  she  ever  stand, 
Through  storm  and  might. 

"God  Save  the  Queen"  is  hackneyed  by  too  much 
use,  especially  by  its  abuse  as  the  signal  for  the  close  of 
a  performance,  which  is  almost  as  great  a  profanation 
as  if  one  should  use  the  Royal  Standard  as  a  handker- 
chief. But  no  abuse  of  this  kind  can  impair  its  magic 
power  when  in  times  of  national  peril  it  bursts  from  the 
full  heart.  The  singing  of  the  National  Anthem,  and 
the  way  in  which  it  was  sung  in  January,  1896,  when 
England,  left  in  "  splendid  "  but  dangerous  "  isolation," 
was  preparing  for  war  against  envious  rivals  in  Europe 
and  America,  did  more  than  anything  else  to  impress 
the  foreign  observer  with  the  intensity  and  depth  of  the 
national  emotion.  It  was  magnificent,  almost  awful,  to 
hear  the  swelling  notes  as  they  rose  from  great  congre- 


42  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

gations.  It  was  a  kind  of  semi-articulate  expression  of 
the  deeper  feelings  usually  unexpressed  by  John  Bull. 
Only  when  the  menace  of  war  rouses  the  nation  is  there 
sufficient  force  to  strike  these  sonorous  chords  of  patri- 
otic passion.  For  more  than  a  hundred  years,  when- 
ever the  English  people  have  been  really  stirred  by 
imminence  of  national  danger,  or  by  exultation  over 
national  triumph,  the  most  satisfying  expression  for 
their  inmost  aspirations  has  been  found  in  the  simple 
but  vigorous  verses.  This  is  the  only  war-song  of  the 
modern  Englishman.  For  him  it  has  superseded  all 
others,  ancient  or  modern.  u  Rule  Britannia  "  is  not  to 
be  compared  with  it  for  universality  of  use,  or  for  satis- 
fying completeness  of  music  and  verse.  And  no  part 
of  this  Battle  Hymn  of  the  British  Monarchy  is  more 
genuine  and  hearty  than  the  stanza  which  offends  many 
pious  critics  on  account  of  the  fidelity  with  which  it  re- 
produces the  spirit  of  the  imprecatory  Psalms. 

It  would  be  idle  to  attempt  to  enumerate  the  occa- 
sions when  this  anthem  has  been  used  to  body  forth 
in  audible  form  the  sentiments  that  throb  in  the  heart 
of  the  nation.  Whenever  any  number  of  Englishmen 
find  themselves  fronting  death,  or  whenever  they  have 
experienced  any  great  deliverance,  whenever  they  thrill 
with  exultant  pride,  or  nerve  themselves  to  offer  an 
unyielding  front  to  adverse  fate,  they  have  used  "God 
Save  the  Queen"  or  King,  as  it  has  been  and  will  be 
again,  as  the  natural  national  musical  vehicle  for  ex- 
pressing what  would  otherwise  find  no  utterance.  It  is 
the  melody  that  is  always  heard  when  our  island  story 
touches  the  sublimer  heights  or  sounds  the  profounder 
depths.  It  is  one  of  the  living  links  which  bind  into 
one  the  past,  the  present  and  future  of  the  English 
race. 

There  is  one  quite  recent  incident  that  may  be  men- 
tioned. When  Major  Wilson  with  his  thirty-three 
troopers  were  attacked  in  Matabeleland  in  1894  by  a 
force  of  three  thousand  natives,  who  surrounded  them 
in  the  forest,  they  fought  from  early  morning  till  well  on 
into  the  afternoon.     All  their  horses  were  shot  early  in 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


43 


the  day,  and  behind  their  dead  bodies  the  troopers  kept 
up  a  desperate  fight  for  three  hours.  Not  one  attempted 
to  escape.  These  "men  of  men,"  as  the  Matabele 
called  them,  fought  on  till  their  ammunition  gave  out, 
and  there  was  not  one  man  left  to  stand  or  fire. 

When  nearly  all  were  wounded  or  killed,  the  Induna 
says,  they  (Wilson's  party)  left  off  firing,  and  all  that 
could  stood  up,  took  off  their  hats,  and  sang  something, 
the  kind  of  song  that  he  (the  Induna)  had  heard  mis- 
sionaries sing  to  the  natives.  Knowing  Wilson  as  we 
do,  says  a  friend  of  his,  we  are  sure  it  was  "  God  Save 
the  Queen."  They  then  fired  again,  until  only  one  man 
was  left,  and  almost  all  the  ammunition  gone.  The 
Matabele  had  such  a  dread  of  them,  that  even  then  they 
did  not  rush  in  and  assegai  them  until  the  last  man  had 
fallen,  and  were  so  impressed  with  their  pluck  that  they 
did  not  mutilate  them  in  any  way,  only  stripped  them. 
The  Induna  estimated  that  the  Matabele  lost  eight  to 
every  one  of  the  thirty-four  white  men  killed,  and  said 
that  Lobengula's  warriors  lay  round  the  dead  white  men 
like  grass.  After  many  days  Mr.  Dawson  found  thirty- 
three  skulls  lying  within  a  circle  of  fifteen  yards,  and  one 
skull  lying  thirty  yards  outside.  He  buried  them  under 
a  wooden  cross,  inscribed,  "  To  Brave  Men."  Mr. 
Rhodes  afterwards  had  their  remains  interred  in  the 
prehistoric  temple  of  Zimbabye,  which  is  to  be  the 
Westminster  Abbey  of  South  Africa.  It  was  of  this 
incident  that  Mary  Georges  wrote  — 

They  sang  —  the  white  men  sang  — 

Sang  in  the  face  of  death, 
And  the  forest  echoes  rang 

With  their  triumphant  breath. 

On  our  spirit  falleth  a  mighty  dread  ; 

We  feared  them  most  when  we  left  them  dead  I 


\\  —  GOD  BLESS  OUR  NATIVE  LAND. 

For  those  who  object  on  religious  grounds  to  pray  for 
the  destruction  of  their  enemies,  also  for  those  who 
prefer  to  pray  for  themselves  rather  than  for  their  Sov 


44  HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED. 

ereign,  the  following  variant  has  been  prepared,  and  is 
used  in  ordinary  times.  But  when  the  shrill  clarion 
sounds  the  'larum  of  war,  the  original  version  holds  the 
field:  — 

C^OD  bless  our  native  land  ! 
J     May  heaven's  protecting  hand 
Still  guard  our  shore  ; 
May  Peace  her  power  extend, 
Foe  be  transformed  to  friend, 
And  Britain's  rights  depend 
On  war  no  more. 

May  just  and  righteous  laws 
Uphold  the  public  cause 

And  bless  our  isle. 
Home  of  the  brave  and  free, 
The  land  of  liberty, 
We  pray  that  still  on  thee 

Kind  heaven  may  smile. 

And  not  this  land  alone, 
But  be  Thy  mercies  known 

From  shore  to  shore. 
Lord,  make  the  nations  see 
That  men  should  brothers  be, 
And  form  one  family, 

The  wide  world  o'er. 

Tune  —  "The  National  Anthem." 

J2  — GOD   SAVE   THE   PEOPLE. 

This  democratic  anthem  of  the  masses  is  much  in 
vogue  in  Labour  churches,  Pleasant  Sunday  Afternoon 
meetings,  and  Congregational  churches  of  the  more 
advanced  type.  The  tune  to  which  it  is  set,  aptly 
fitted  to  the  words,  has  a  great  hold  upon  those  who 
sing  it.    The  hymn  was  the   handiwork  of   Ebenezer 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED. 


45 


Elliott,  the  Sheffield  Corn  Law  Rhymer,  a  sturdy,  un- 
compromising Democrat,  with  a  heart  embittered 
against  the  landed  classes,  whose  chief  aim  in  making 
laws  in  those  days  seemed  to  him  to  be  keeping  up  the 
price  of  bread,  regardless  of  the  needs  of  the  hungry 
poor.  But  the  whirligig  of  time  brings  about  strange 
revenges,  and  the  Sheffield  which  in  the  rough,  rude 
rhymes  of  Ebenezer  Elliott  doomed  the  Protectionist 
to  perdition  now  returns  Col.  Howard  Vincent  to  Par- 
liament to  champion  Protection  masked  as  Fair  Trade. 

WHEN  wilt  Thou  save  the  people  ? 
O  God  of  mercy,  when  ? 
Not  kings  alone,  but  nations  ? 

Not  thrones  and  crowns,  but  men? 
Flowers  of  Thy  heart,  O  God,  are  they: 
Let  them  not  pass,  like  weeds,  away  — 
Their  heritage  a  sunless  day. 
God  save  the  people  ! 

Shall  crime  bring  crime  for  ever, 

Strength  aiding  still  the  strong  ? 
Is  it  Thy  will,  O  Father, 

That  man  shall  toil  for  wrong  ? 
"  No,"  say  Thy  mountains ;  "  No,"  Thy  skies ; 
Man's  clouded  sun  shall  brightly  rise, 
And  songs  ascend  instead  of  sighs : 
God  save  the  people ! 

When  wilt  Thou  save  the  people  ? 

O  God  of  mercy,  when  ? 
The  people,  Lord,  the  people, 

Not  thrones  and  crowns,  but  men? 
God  save  the  people,  Thine  they  are, 
Thy  children,  as  Thine  angels  fair; 
From  vice,  oppression,  and  despair, 
God  save  the  people  ! 

Tune  —  "  Commonwealth." 


46  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

It  is  the  nearest  approach  to  an  English  Marseillaise 
that  a  sense  of  social  injustice  has  wrung  from  the 
heart  of  the  oppressed. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Garrett,  of  Liverpool,  writes:  "  This 
hymn  rings  in  my  mind  like  the  cry  of  a  nation  on  its 
knees."  A  Scottish  journalist,  writing  from  South 
Wales,  says :  "  So  far  as  my  experience  goes,  this 
hymn  can  rouse  great  popular  audiences  as  nothing  else 
can.  It  seems  to  go  right  down  to  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  and  it  can  be  sung  very  effectively." 

13  -AMERICA. 

In  days  of  peace  and  prosperity,  through  the  crisis  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  on  most  public  occasions  since 
the  war,  this  hymn  has  gradually  won  recognition  as 
a  national  one  without  the  ceremonial  of  adoption  in 
any  historic  scene*  The  author  of  the  words,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Francis  Smith,  D.  D.,  says  of  their  origin : 
"  The  song  was  written  at  Andover  during  my  student 
life  there,  I  think  in  the  winter  of  1831-32.  It  was  first 
used  publicly  at  a  Sunday-school  celebration  of  July  4, 
in  the  Park  Street  Church,  Boston."  It  was,  indeed, 
an  attempt  to  give  "  God  Save  the  King "  the  ring 
of  American  republican  patriotism.  Public-school 
teachers  throughout  the  United  States  find  it  most 
helpful  in  awakening  a  love  for  and  a  pride  in  the  new 
country  among  the  heterogeneous  mass  of  child  im- 
migrants that  must  be  welded  into  patriotic  American 
citizens.  The  well-known  missionary  hymn,  "The 
Morning  Light  is  breaking,"  was  also  written  at  Andover 
at  about  the  same  date.  To  the  author,  his  class-mate 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  refers  in  the  lines  :  — 

"  And  there  rs  a  nice  fellow  of  excellent  pith, 
Fate  tried  to  conceal  him  by  naming  him  Smith." 


M 


Y  country  !  't  is  of  thee, 
Swreet  land  of  Liberty, 


Of  thee  I  sing; 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  47 

Land  where  my  fathers  died; 
Land  of  the  Pilgrims'  pride  ; 
From  ev'ry  mountain  side, 
Let  freedom  ring. 

My  native  country  !  thee, 
Land  of  the  noble  free, 

Thy  name  I  love ; 
I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills, 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills 

Like  that  above. 

Let  music  swell  the  breeze, 
And  ring  among  the  trees 

Sweet  freedom's  song : 
Let  mortal  tongues  awake, 
Let  all  that  breathe  partake, 
Let  rocks  their  silence  break, 

The  sound  prolong. 

Our  fathers'  God  !  to  Thee, 
Author  of  Liberty  ! 

To  Thee  we  sing ; 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light, 
Protect  us  by  thy  might, 

Great  God,  our  King  ! 

J4  — THE    MARSEILLAISE. 

On  the  5th  July,  1792,  when  Revolutionary  France  was 
menaced  with  destruction  by  internal  treason  and  ex- 
ternal war,  —  the  latter  taking  tangible  shape  in  the 
person  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  and  80,000  Prussians, 
Hessians,  and  the  royalist  emigres, — the  Marseilles 
municipality  mustered  517  men  of  the  rank  and  file, 
with  captains  of  fifties  and  of  tens,  600  in  all,  and  bade 


48 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


them  "  March,  strike  down  the  tyrant."  Without  an 
arrangement,  or  station,  or  ration,  these  black-browed 
Marseillese'"  who  knew  how  to  die"  made  their  way 
for  600  miles  across  France  to  Paris.  "  The  thought 
which  works  voiceless  in  this  black-browed  mass,  an  in- 
spired Tyrtaean  Colonel,  Rouget  de  Lille,  has  translated 
into  grim  melody  and  rhythm,  in  his  Hymn  or  March 
of  the  Marseillese,  luckiest  musical  composition  ever 
promulgated,  the  sound  of  which  will  make  the  blood 
tingle  in  men's  veins,  and  whole  armies  and  assemblages 
will  sing  it,  with  eyes  weeping  and  burning,  with  hearts 
defiant  of  Death,  Despot,  and  Devil."  For  which  in- 
deed France  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  on  Nov.  6, 
1792,  when  Dumouriez  smote  the  Austrians  at  Je- 
mappes,  it  was  recognised  that  in  the  Marseilles  a  new 
power  had  descended  from  above  upon  the  French 
armies,  and  that  henceforth  and  for  many  years  to  come 
they  were  invincible.  Carlyle  writes  thus  of  that  memo- 
rable day.  Dumouriez,  overrunning  the  Netherlands, 
came  upon  the  Austrians  at  Jemappes,  near  Mons  :  — 

"And  fire-hail  is  whistling  far  and  wide  there,  the 
great  guns  playing  and  the  small ;  so  many  green 
heights  getting  fringed  and  maned  with  red  fire.  And 
Dumouriez  is  swept  back  on  this  wing,  and  swept  back 
on  that,  and  is  like  to  be  swept  back  utterly ;  when  he 
rushes  up  in  person,  the  prompt  Polymetis,  speaks  a 
prompt  word  or  two,  and  then,  with  clear  tenor-pipe, 
'  uplifts  the  Hymn  of  the  Marseillaise.'  entonna  la  Mar- 
seillaise, ten  thousand  tenor  or  bass  pipes  joining;  or 
say,  some  forty  thousand  in  all,  for  every  heart  leaps  at 
the  sound ;  and  so,  with  rhythmic  march-melody,  wax- 
ing ever  quicker  to  double  and  to  treble  quick,  they 
rally,  they  advance,  they  rush,  death-defying,  man-de- 
vouring ;  carry  batteries,  redoutes,  whatsoever  is  to  be 
carried  ;  and  like  the  fire-whirlwind,  sweep  all  manner 
of  Austrians  from  the  scene  of  action.  Thus,  through 
the  hands  of  Dumouriez,  may  Rouget  de  Lille,  in  figur- 
ative speech,  be  said  to  have  gained  miraculously,  like 
another  Orpheus,  by  his  Marseillese  fiddle-strings  \fidi- 


HYMNS   THAT  HAVE   HELPED. 


49 


ous  canon's),  a  victory  of  Jemappes,  and  conquered  the 
Low  Countries." 

From  that  moment  the  Marseillaise  became  the  Na- 
tional Anthem  of  France.  All  through  the  Napoleonic 
wars  her  armies  marched  to  the  music  of  Rouget  de 
Lille,  which  made  the  tour  of  Europe  with  the  eagles  of 
P'rance.  Afterwards  it  became  a  proscribed  hymn,  and 
was,  in  consequence,  all  the  more  cherished.  Whenever 
revolution  burst  out,  her  first  note  was  ever  sounded  by 
the  Marseillaise.  During  the  Second  Empire  it  was 
proscribed  until  the  march  on  Berlin,  which  was  to  end 
at  Sedan,  when  the  Emperor  permitted  the  nation  he 
had  betrayed  once  again  to  hear  the  stirring  strains  in 
which,  for  nearly  a  hundred  years,  its  patriotic  passion 
had  vibrated  through  Europe.  Not  even  the  Marseil- 
laise could  avert  Sedan,  but  it  was  to  the  music  of  the 
Marseillaise  that  the  Empire  was  overthrown,  and  it 
remains  to  this  day  —  Russian  alliance  notwithstanding 
—  the  National  Hymn  of  the  French  RepuLlic. 

ALLONS,  enfants  de  la  Patrie, 
Le  jour  de  gloire  est  arrive ! 
Contre  nous  de  la  tyrannie 
L'fitendard  sanglant  est  leve.  {bis) 
Entendez-vous  dans  les  campagnes 
Mugir  ces  feroces  soldats  ? 
lis  viennent  jusque  dans  vos  bras 
figorger  vos  fils,  vos  compagnes. 

Aux  armes,  citoyens,  formez  vos  bataillons ! 

Marchons,  marchons  ! 

Qu'un  sang  impur  abreuve  nos  sillons. 

Que  veut  cette  horde  d'esclaves, 

De  traitres,  de  rois  conjures  ? 

Pour  qui  ces  ignobles  entraves, 

Ces  fers  des  longtemps  prepares  ?  (bis) 

Francais,  pour  nous,  ah !  quel  outrage  ! 

4 


50  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Quel  transport  il  doit  exciter  ! 
C'est  nous  qu'on  ose  menacer 
De  rendre  a  l'antique  esclavage! 
Aux  armes,  citoyens  (etc.). 

Quoi,  ces  cohortes  dtrangeres 
Feraient  la  loi  dans  nos  foyers  ! 
Quoi,  des  phalanges  mercenaires 
Terrasseraient  nos  tiers  guerriers  !  {bis) 
Grand  Dieu  !  par  des  mains  enchainees 
Nos  fronts  sous  le  joug  se  ploiraient  ? 
De  vils  despotes  deviendraient 
Les  maitres  de  nos  destinees  ? 
Aux  armes,  citoyens  (etc.). 

Tremblez,  tyrans!  et  vous,  perfides, 
L'opprobre  de  tous  les  partis, 
Tremblez  !  vos  projets  parricides 
Vont  enfin  recevoir  leur  prix.   {bis) 
Tout  est  soldat  pour  vous  combattre 
S'ils  tombent,  nos  jeunes  heros, 
La  terre  en  produit  de  nouveaux 
Contre  vous  tout  prets  a  se  battre. 
Aux  armes,  citoyens  (etc.). 

Frangais,  en  guerriers  magnanimes, 
Portez  ou  retenez  vos  coups  ! 
£pargnez  ces  tristes  victimes 
A  regret  s'armant  contre  nous,  {bis) 
Mais  les  despotes  sanguinaires, 
Mais  les  complices  de  Bouill6, 
Tous  ces  tigres  qui,  sans  pitie, 
De'chirent  le  sein  de  leur  mere ! 
Aux  armes,  citoyens  (etc.). 

Nous  entrerons  dans  la  carriere, 
Quand  nos  aines  n'y  seront  plus ; 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    5 1 

Nous  y  trouverons  leur  poussiere 
Et  la  trace  de  leurs  vertus.   (pis} 
Bien  moins  jaloux  de  leur  survivre 
Que  de  partager  leur  cercueil, 
Nous  aurons  le  sublime  orgueil 
De  les  venger  ou  de  les  suivre. 
Aux  armes,  citoyens  (etc.). 

Amour  sacre'  de  la  patrie, 
Conduis,  soutiens  nos  bras  vengeurs. 
Liberte,  liberte  cherie, 
Combats  avec  tes  defenseurs.  (bis) 
Sous  nos  drapeaux  que  la  victoire 
Accoure  a  tes  males  accents  ! 
Que  tes  ennemis  expirants 
Voient  ton  triomphe  et  notre  gloire  ! 
Aux  armes.  citoyens  (etc.). 

The  Marseillaise  is  often  sung  in  England,  but  seldom 
beyond  the  first  verse,  excepting  in  French.  The  Eng- 
lish free  —  very  free  —  rendering,  that  is  sometimes 
used,  begins  thus:  — 

Ye  sons  of  France,  awake  to  glory! 

Hark  !  hark  !  what  myriads  bid  you  rise! 
Your  children,  wives,  and  grandsires  hoary,  — 

Behold  their  tears  and  hear  their  cries  ! 
Shall  hateful  tyrants,  mischief  breeding, 

With  hireling  hosts,  a  ruffian  band, 

Affright  and  desolate  the  land, 
While  liberty  and  peace  lie  bleeding? 

To  arms  !  to  arms  !  ye  brave ! 

The  avenging  sword  unsheathe  ! 
March  on  !  march  on  !  all  hearts  resolved 

On  victory  or  death  ! 

Outside  France  the  Marseillaise  is,  however,  almost 
exclusively  monopolised  by  Socialist  or  other  exponents 


52    HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

of  popular  discontent.  In  France,  of  course,  it  is  the 
official  anthem,  which  is  played  even  in  the  presence  of 
Tsars.  But  if  ever  there  was  a  hymn  that  helped  men, 
the  Marseillaise  is  that  hymn.  It  helped  millions  to 
conquer  and  to  die ;  and  so,  although  it  can  hardly  be 
regarded  as  an  ordinary  hymn,  it  is  such  an  extraordi- 
nary one  as  to  well  deserve  a  place  in  this  collection. 

\5  —  LUTHER'S  HYMN. 

A  battle  hymn,  indeed,  is  this  famous  hymn  which 
Heinrich  Heine  rightly  describes  as  u  the  Marseillaise 
Hymn  of  the  Reformation."  Luther  composed  it  for 
the  Diet  of  Spires,  when,  on  April  20,  1 529,  the  German 
princes  made  their  formal  protest  against  the  revoca- 
tion of  their  liberties,  and  so  became  known  as  Protest- 
ants. In  the  life-and-death  struggle  that  followed,  it 
was  as  a  clarion  summoning  all  faithful  souls  to  do 
battle,  without  fear,  against  the  insulting  foe.  Luther 
sang  it  to  the  lute  every  day.  It  was  the  spiritual  and 
national  tonic  of  Germany,  administered  in  those  dol- 
orous times  as  doctors  administer  quinine  to  sojourners 
in  fever-haunted  marshes.  Every  one  sang  it,  old  and 
young,  children  in  the  street,  soldiers  on  the  battlefield. 
The  more  heavily  hit  they  were,  the  more  tenaciously 
did  they  cherish  the  song  that  assured  them  of  ulti- 
mate victory.  When  Melancthon  and  his  friends,  after 
Luther's  death,  were  sent  into  banishment,  they  were 
marvellously  cheered  as  they  entered  Weimar  on  hear- 
ing a  girl  sing  Luther's  hymn  in  the  street.  "  Sing  on, 
dear  daughter  mine,"  said  Melancthon ;  "  thou  knowest 
not  what  comfort  thou  bringest  to  our  heart."  Nearly 
a  hundred  years  later,  before  the  great  victory  which  he 
gained  over  the  Catholic  forces  at  Leipsic,  Gustavus 
Adolphus  asked  his  warriors  to  sing  Luther's  hymn, 
and  after  the  victory  he  thanked  God  that  He  had  made 
good  the  promise,  "  The  field  He  will  maintain  it."  It 
was  sung  at  the  Battle  of  Liitzen.  It  was  sung  also 
many  a  time  and  oft  during  the  Franco-German  war. 
In  fact,  whenever  the  depths  of  the  German  heart  are 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


53 


really  stirred,  the  sonorous  strains  of  Luther's  hymn 
instinctively  burst  forth.  M.  Vicomte  de  Vogue,  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  of  contemporary  writers,  in  his  criti- 
cism of  M.  Zola's  "  Debacle,"  pays  a  splendid  tribute  to 
the  element  in  the  German  character  which  finds  its  most 
articulate  expression  in  Luther's  noble  psalm.  M.  de 
Vogue  says  that  M.  Zola,  in  his  work,  entirely  fails  to 
explain  in  what  the  superiority  of  the  German  army 
consisted.  What  was  there  in  these  men  ?  Why  did 
they  conquer  France  ?  Only  he  who  knows  the  answer, 
and  dares  to  give  it,  will  be  able  to  write  the  book  about 
the  war. 

"  He  who  is  so  well  up  in  all  the  points  of  the  battle- 
field of  Sedan  must  surely  know  what  was  to  be  seen 
and  heard  there  on  the  evening  of  Sept.  i,  1870.  It 
was  a  picture  to  tempt  his  pen,  —  those  innumerable 
lines  of  fires  starring  all  the  valley  of  the  Meuse,  those 
grave  and  solemn  chants  sent  out  into  the  night  by 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  voices.  No  orgy,  no  disorder, 
no  relaxation  of  discipline  ;  the  men  mounting  guard 
under  arms  till  the  inexorable  task  was  done ;  the 
hymns  to  the  God  of  victory  and  the  distant  home,  — 
they  seemed  like  an  army  of  priests  coming  from  the 
sacrifice.  This  one  picture,  painted  as  the  novelist 
knows  how  to  paint  in  his  best  days,  would  have  shown 
us  what  virtues,  wanting  in  our  own  camp,  had  kept 
fortune  in  the  service  of  the  other." 

Of  English  versions  there  have  been  many.  That  of 
Thomas  Carlyle  is  generally  regarded  as  the  best. 

A  SURE  stronghold  our  God  is  He. 
A  trusty  shield  and  weapon; 
Our  help  He  '11  be,  and  set  us  free 
From  every  ill  can  happen. 
That  old  malicious  foe 
Intends  us  deadly  woe  ; 
Armed  with  might  from  Hell, 
And  deepest  craft  as  well, 
On  earth  is  not  his  fellow. 


54    HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Through  our  own  force  we  nothing  can, 

Straight  were  we  lost  for  ever ; 
But  for  us  rights  the  proper  Man, 
By  God  sent  to  deliver. 
Ask  ye  who  this  may  be  ? 
Christ  Jesus  named  is  He. 
Of  Sabaoth  the  Lord ; 
Sole  God  to  be  adored; 
'Tis  He  must  win  the  battle. 

And  were  the  world  with  devils  filled, 

All  eager  to  devour  us, 
Our  souls  to  fear  should  little  yield, 
They  cannot  overpower  us. 
Their  dreaded  Prince  no  more 
Can  harm  us  as  of  yore  ; 
Look  grim  as  e'er  he  may, 
Doomed  is  his  ancient  sway ; 
A  word  can  overthrow  him. 

God's  word  for  all  their  craft  and  force 

One  moment  will  not  linger  : 
But  spite  of  Hell  shall  have  its  course 
'Tis  written  by  His  finger. 
And  though  they  take  our  life, 
Goods,  honour,  children,  wife  ; 
Yet  is  there  profit  small : 
These  things  shall  vanish  all ; 
The  city  of  God  remaineth. 

The  following  is  given  in  Julian's  Dictionary  of 
Hymnology  as  the  earliest  High  German  Text  now 
accessible  to  us.     It  is  that  of  1531  :  — 

EIN'  feste  burg  ist  unser  Gott, 
ein  gute  wehr  und  waffen. 
Er  hilfft  unns  frev  aus  aller  not 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  55 

die  uns  ytzt  hat  betroffen, 
Der  alt  bose  feind 
mit  ernst  ers  ytzt  meint, 
gros  macht  und  viel  list 
sein  grausam  riistung  ist, 
auf  erd  ist  nicht  seins  gleichen. 

Mit  unser  macht  ist  nichts  gethan, 

wir  sind  gar  bald  verloren  ; 
Es  streit  fur  uns  der  rechte  man, 
den  Gott  hat  selbs  erkoren. 
Eragstu,  wer  der  ist  ? 
er  heist  Jhesu  Christ 
der  Herr  Zebaoth, 
und  ist  kein  ander  Gott, 
das  felt  mus  er  behalten. 

Und  wenn  die  welt  vol  Teuffell  wehr 

und  wolt  uns  gar  vorschlingen 
So  furchten  wir  uns  nicht  zu  sehr 
es  sol  uns  doch  gelingen. 
Der  Fiirst  dieser  welt, 
wie  sawr  er  sich  stellt. 
thut  er  unns  doch  nicht, 
das  macht,  er  ist  gericht, 
ein  wbrtlin  kan  yhn  fellen. 

Das  wort  sie  sollen  lassen  stahn 

und  kein  danck  dazu  haben, 
Er  ist  bey  unns  wol  auff  dem  plan 
mit  seinem  geist  und  gaben. 
Nemen  sie  den  leib, 
gut,  eher,  kindt  unnd  weib 
las  faren  dahin, 
sie  habens  kein  gewin, 
das  reich  mus  uns  doch  bleiben. 
Tune  — "Worms,"  also  called  "Ein'  Feste  Burg." 


56 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


The  Forty-sixth  Psalm  was  always  a  great  stand-by  foi 
fighting  men.  The  Huguenots  and  Covenanters  used 
to  cheer  their  hearts  in  the  extremity  of  adverse  for- 
tunes by  the  solemn  chant 

God  is  our  refuge  and  our  strength, 

In  straits  a  present  aid  ; 
Therefore,  although  the  earth  remove, 

We  will  not  be  afraid. 

It  will  be  noted  that  although  Luther's  Hymn  is  sug- 
gested by  the  Forty-sixth  Psalm,  it  is  really  Luther's 
Psalm,  not  David's.  Only  the  idea  of  the  stronghold 
is  taken  from  the  Scripture,  the  rest  is  Luther's  own, 
"  made  in  Germany,"  indeed,  and  not  only  so,  but  one  of 
the  most  potent  influences  that  have  contributed  to  the 
making  of  Germany.  And  who  knows  how  soon  again 
we  may  see  the  fulfilment  of  Heine's  speculation,  when 
Germans  "  may  soon  have  to  raise  again  these  old 
words,  flashing  and  pointed  with  iron  "  ?  That  M.  de 
Vogue  does  not  stray  beyond  his  book  there  is  ample 
evidence  to  prove.  For  instance,  Cassell's  History  of 
the  Franco-German  war  describes  how,  the  day  after 
the  battle  of  Sedan,  a  multitude  of  German  troops,  who 
were  on  the  march  for  Paris,  found  it  impossible  to 
sleep,  wearied  though  they  were.  They  were  billeted  in 
the  Parish  Church  of  Augecourt.  The  excitement  of 
the  day  had  been  too  great ;  the  memory  of  the  bloody 
fight  and  their  fallen  comrades  mingled  strangely  with 
pride  of  victory  and  the  knowledge  that  they  had  res- 
cued their  country  from  the  foe.  Suddenly  in  the  twi- 
light and  the  stillness  a  strain  of  melody  proceeded  from 
the  organ,  —  at  first  softly,  very  softly,  and  then  with 
ever-increasing  force,  —  the  grand  old  hymn-tune,  fa- 
miliar as  "  household  words  "  to  every  German  ear, 
11  Nun  danket  alle  Gott,"  swelled  along  the  vaulted 
aisles.  With  one  voice  officers  and  men  joined  in 
the  holy  strains  ;  and  when  the  hymn  was  ended,  the 
performer,  a  simple  villager,  came  forward  and  deliv- 
ered a  short,  simple,  heartfelt  speech.     Then,  turning 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


57 


again  to  the  organ,  he  struck  up  Luther's  old  hymn, 
"  Ein'  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott,"  and  again  all  joined 
with  heart  and  voice.  The  terrible  strain  on  their  sys- 
tem, which  had  tried  their  weary  souls  and  had  ban- 
ished slumber  from  their  eyes,  was  now  removed,  and 
they  laid  themselves  down  with  thankful  hearts  and 
sought  and  found  the  rest  they  so  much  needed. 

Frederick  the  Great  on  one  occasion  called  Luther's 
Hymn  "  God  Almighty's  Grenadier  March." 

J6  — GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS'S  BATTLE 

HYMN. 

Few  figures  stand  out  so  visibly  against  the  bloody  mist 
of  the  religious  wars  of  the  seventeenth  century  as  that 
of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  the  hero-king  of  Sweden,  who 
triumphed  at  Leipsic  and  who  fell  dead  on  the  morning 
of  victory  at  Liitzen.  The  well-known  hymn  beginning 
"  Verzage  nicht,  du  H'auflein,"  which  is  known  as  Gus- 
tavus Adolphus's  Battle  Hymn,  was  composed  by  Pastor 
Altenburg,  at  Erfurt,  on  receiving  the  news  of  the  great 
victory  of  Leipsic,  which  gave  fresh  heart  and  hope 
to  the  Protestants  of  Germany.  It  was  sung  on  the 
morning  of  the  Battle  of  Liitzen,  under  the  following 
circumstances :  When  the  morning  of  Nov.  16,  1632, 
dawned,  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  armies  under 
Wallenstein  and  Gustavus  Adolphus  stood  facing 
each  other.  Gustavus  ordered  all  his  chaplains  to 
hold  a  service  of  prayer.  He  threw  himself  upon  his 
knees  and  prayed  fervently  while  the  whole  army  burst 
out  into  a  lofty  song  of  praise  and  prayer, 

"  Verzage  nicht,  du  Haunein  klein." 

As  they  prayed  and  sang  a  mist  descended,  through 
which  neither  army  could  discern  the  foe.  The  King 
set  his  troops  in  battle-array,  giving  them  as  their 
watchword,  "  God  with  us."  As  he  rode  along  the 
lines,  he  ordered  the  kettle-drums  and  trumpets  to 
strike  up  Luther's  hymns,  "  Ein'  feste  Burg"  and  "  Es 


58  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

wollt  uns  Gott  genadig  sein."  As  they  played,  the  sol- 
diers joined  in  as  with  one  voice.  The  mist  began  to 
lift,  the  sun  shone  bright,  and  Gustavus  knelt  again  in 
prayer.  Then  rising,  he  cried  :  "  Now  we  will  set  to, 
please  God,"  and  then  louder  he  said,  "Jesu,  Jesu, 
Jesu,  help  me  this  day  to  fight  for  the  honour  of  Thy 
name !  "  Then  he  charged  the  enemy  at  full  speed, 
defended  only  by  a  leathern  gorget.  "  God  is  my  har- 
ness," he  replied  to  his  servant,  who  rushed  to  put  on 
his  armour.  The  battle  was  hot  and  bloody.  At  eleven 
in  the  forenoon  the  fatal  bullet  struck  Gustavus,  and 
he  sank  dying  from  his  horse,  crying,  "  My  God,  my 
God  !  "  The  combat  went  on  for  hours  afterwards,  but 
when  twilight  fell  Wallenstein's  army  broke  and  fled, 
and  the  dead  king  remained  victor  of  the  field  on  which 
with  his  life  he  had  purchased  the  religious  liberties  of 
Northern  Europe. 

FEAR  not,  O  little  flock,  the  foe, 
Who  madly  seeks  your  overthrow, 
Dread  not  his  rage  and  power  ; 
What,  tho'  your  courage  sometimes  faints, 
His  seeming  triumph  o'er  God's  saints 
Lasts  but  a  little  hour. 

Be  of  good  cheer,  —  your  cause  belongs 
To  Him  who  can  avenge  your  wrongs, 

Leave  it  to  Him,  our  Lord. 
Tho'  hidden  yet  from  all  our  eyes, 
He  sees  the  Gideon  who  shall  rise 

To  save  us,  and  his  word. 

As  true  as  God's  own  word  is  true, 
Nor  earth,  nor  hell,  with  all  their  crew, 

Against  us  shall  prevail,  — 
A  jest  and  byword  are  they  grown ; 
44  God  is  with  us"  we  are  His  own, 

Our  victory  cannot  fail. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


59 


Amen,  Lord  Jesus,  grant  our  prayer  ! 
Great  Captain,  now  Thine  arm  make  bare  ; 

Fight  for  us  once  again  ! 
So  shall  Thy  saints  and  martyrs  raise 
A  mighty  chorus  to  Thy  praise, 

World  without  end.     Amen. 


J7  — THE  BATTLE  HYMN  OF  THE 
REPUBLIC. 

MINE  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  ; 
He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  where  the  grapes 

of  wrath  are  stored  ; 
He  hath  loosed  the  fateful  lightning  of  his  terrible 
swift  sword  ; 

His  truth  is  marching  on. 

I  have  seen  Him  in  the  watch-fires  of  a  hundred 

circling  camps  ; 
They  have  builded  Him  an  altar   in  the  evening 

dews  and  damps ; 
I  have  read  His  righteous  sentence  by  the  dim  and 

flaring  lamps ; 

His  Day  is  marching  on. 

I  have  read  a  fiery  gospel  writ  in  burnished  rows 

of  steel  — 
"  As  ye  deal  with  My  contemners,  so  with  you  My 

grace  shall  deal ;  " 
Let  the  Hero  born  of  woman  crush  the  serpent  with 

His  heel, 

Since  God  is  marching  on. 

He  has  sounded  forth  the  trumpet  that  shall  never 
call  retreat ; 

He  is  sifting  out  the  hearts  of  men  before  His  judg- 
ment-seat ; 


60  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Oh  !  be   swift,  my  soul,  to  answer  Him ;  be  jubi- 
lant, my  feet,  — 

Our  God  is  marching  on. 

In  the  beauty  of  the  lilies  Christ  was  born  across 

the  sea, 
With  a  glory  in  His  bosom  that  transfigures  you 

and  me ; 
As  He  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make 
men  free, 

While  God  is  marching  on, 

Tune  —  "John  Brown's  Body." 

This  splendid  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic  was 
written  by  Julia  Ward  Howe  on  the  outbreak  of  the 
American  war,  i860. 

John  Habberton,  writing  long  after  it  was  all  over, 
says :  — 

"  The  old  air  has  a  wonderful  influence  over  me.  I 
heard  it  in  Western  camp  meetings  and  negro  cabins 
when  I  was  a  boy.  I  saw  the  22nd  Massachusetts 
march  down  Broadway  singing  the  same  air  during  a 
rush  to  the  front  during  the  early  days  of  the  war ;  I 
have  heard  it  sung  by  warrior  tongues  in  nearly  every 
Southern  State';  my  old  brigade  sang  it  softly,  but  with 
a  swing  that  was  terrible  in  its  earnestness,  as  they  lay 
behind  their  stacks  of  arms  just  before  going  into  ac- 
tion ;  I  have  heard  it  played  over  the  grave  of  many  a 
dead  comrade  ;  the  semi-mutinous  — th  cavalry  became 
peaceful  and  patriotic  again  as  their  bandmaster  played 
the  old  air,  after  having  asked  permission  to  try  his  hand 
on  them ;  it  is  the  tune  that  burst  forth  spontaneously 
in  our  barracks  on  that  glorious  morning  when  we 
learned  that  the  war  was  over,  and  it  was  sung  with 
words  adapted  to  the  occasion  by  some  good  rebel 
friends  of  mine  on  our  first  social  meeting  after  the 
war." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


6l 


J8- CROMWELL'S   BATTLE   PSALMS. 

The  most  famous  of  the  Battle  Songs  of  the  Ironsides 
was  the  Sixty-eighth  Psalm,  which  was  sung  before  fight- 
ing, and  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth,  which  they 
sang  after  victory.  They  had  no  need  for  anything  to 
sing  after  defeat,  for  they  never  were  defeated. 

The  Sixty-eighth  was  a  famous  warrior-psalm  long 
before  Cromwell's  time.  It  was  the  favourite  of  Charle- 
magne. Savonarola  chanted  it  as  he  trod  the  dolorous 
way  to  the  stake.  It  was  called  by  the  Huguenots  the 
Song  of  Battles,  and  was  raised  by  them  in  many  a  des- 
perate fight.  The  most  notable  occasion  on  which  it  was 
sung  by  the  Army  of  the  Commonwealth  was  on  the 
morning  of  the  Battle  of  Dunbar.  Terrible  indeed,  in  the 
dim  and  misty  morning,  must  have  sounded  the  voices 
of  the  Ironsides  singing  as  they  stood  ready  waiting  for 
the  word  to  charge.  This  was  probably  the  version 
that  they  used  :  — 

LET  God  arise,  and  scattered 
let  all  his  en'mies  be  ; 
And  let  all  those  that  do  him  hate 
before  his  presence  flee. 

As  smoke  is  driv'n,  so  drive  thou  them ; 

as  fire  melts  wax  away, 
Before  God's  face  let  wicked  men 

so  perish  and  decay. 

But  let  the  righteous  be  glad : 

let  them  before  God's  sight 
Be  very  joyful :  yea,  let  them 

rejoice  with  all  their  might. 

To  God  sing,  to  his  name  sing  praise; 

extol  him  with  your  voice, 
That  rides  on  heav'n,  by  his  name 

before  his  face  rejoice. 


62  HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Psalm  was  sung 
after  the  victory  was  won,  and  became  known  thereafter 
as  the  Dunbar  Psalm. 

When  "  the  Scotch  army,  shivered  to  utter  ruin, 
rushes  in  tumultuous  wreck,''"  "the  Lord  General 
made  a  halt,  and  sung  the  one  hundred  and  seven- 
teenth psalm,  till  our  horse  could  gather  for  the  chase." 
"  Hundred  and  seventeenth  psalm,"  says  Mr.  Carlyle, 
"  at  the  foot  of  the  Doon  Hill ;  there  we  uplift  it,  to  the 
tune  of  Bangor,  or  some  still  higher  score,  and  roll  it 
strong  and  great  against  the  sky  "  :  — 

OGIVE  ye  praise  unto  the  Lord, 
all  nations  that  be  ; 
Likewise,  ye  people  all,  accord 
his  name  to  magnify. 

For  great  to  us-ward  ever  are 

his  loving-kindnesses : 
His  truth  endures  for  evermore. 

The  Lord  O  do  ye  bless. 

Doggerel,  no  doubt ;  but  who  wo  ild  exchange  that 
rugged  verse,  sung  from  the  hearts  of  the  victors  of 
Dunbar,  while  the  smoke  of  their  powder  was  still 
lying  low  over  the  dead,  for  the  most  mellifluous  verse 
whose  melody  charmed  the  ear  of  the  critic,  but  never 
stirred  the  mighty  hearts  of  heroes  ? 

J9— GARIBALDI'S  HYMN. 

The  Rev.  H.  R.  Haweis,  who  probably  is  the  best  re- 
pository of  Garibaldian  reminiscences  among  English- 
speaking  men,  has  been  good  enough  to  send  me  the 
following  notes  on  the  way  in  which  this  famous  hymn 
helped  the  Italian  struggle  for  national  unity  and  inde- 
pendence.    Mr.  Haweis  writes  :  — 

"  Garibaldi's  hymn,  like  so  many  other  tunes  and 
stanzas,  was  composed  by  a  comparatively  obscure  per- 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


63 


son  named  Luigi  Mercantini,  and  the  music  was  com- 
posed by  Alessio  Olivieri,  of  Genoa.  I  well  remember 
in  i860  being  told  by  an  Italian  how  a  friend  of  his  had 
taken  him  into  a  back  shop  in  Venice  for  fear  of  the 
Austrians,  and  played  over  to  him  the  then  unknown 
tune,  showing  him  the  words  to  which  it  was  to  be  sung, 
and  declaring  that  it  would  be  likely  to  seize  upon  the 
popular  heart  and  ear  and  become  the  clarion  of  patri- 
otic advance  and  victory.  This  turned  out  to  be  the 
case.  Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  Italy  — 
from  '59  to  '69,  at  all  events  —  Garibaldi's  hymn  rang 
out  in  every  cafe,  on  every  organ,  at  every  social  or 
political  gathering,  and  in  every  street  throughout  Italy. 
It  is  lively  and  buoyant.  Why  it  is  called  a  hymn  it  is 
difficult  to  say  —  it  has  a  bounce  and  go  about  it  which 
suggests  the  irrepressible  recklessness,  fearlessness,  and 
audacious  jollity  of  youth.  It  voiced  young  Italy's  as- 
pirations. The  revolution  was  indeed  the  work  chiefly 
of  boys  with  a  few  veterans  at  their  backs.  The  1000 
of  Marsala,  the  remnants  of  the  Italian  legion,  formed 
in  South  America  and  the  defenders  of  Rome  in  1848 

—  these  were  the  iron-handed,  golden-souled  veterans 

—  and  the  Garibaldian  armies  were  recruited  from  the 
boys  of  Italy.  Garibaldi's  hymn  suited  them  down  to 
the  ground.  It  ranks  with  the  Marseillaise  as  a  revolu- 
tionary inspirer,  but  it  has  a  light-hearted  joyousness 
and  a  rollicking  rush  and  devil-may-care  slapdash  about 
it  that  the  gloomier  Marseillaise  cannot  lay  claim  to.  I 
shall  never  forget  coming  down  one  fresh  autumn 
morning  from  the  Camaldoli  hills  above  Naples  and 
meeting  about  one  hundred  Garibaldians  in  their  red 
shirts  and  muskets  shouldered  marching  joyously  up 
hill  —  it  was  a  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Volturno  — 
four  trumpeters  walked  in  front,  blowing  Garibaldi's 
hymn  to  their  hearts'  content,  whilst  the  young  lithe 
guerilleros  (I  don't  think  there  could  have  been  one  over 
twenty)  seemed  to  step  on  air.  I  can  recollect  their 
bright  sunny  faces  and  eyes  glowing  with  happy  enthu- 
siasm even  now  —  lack-a-day,  't  is  thirty -six  years  ago  !  " 


64  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

SI  scopron  le  tombe,  si  levano  i  morti, 
I  martiri  nostri  son  tutti  risorti ! 
Le  spade  nel  pugno,  gli  allori  alle  chiome, 
La  fiamma  ed  il  nome  d'ltalia  sul  cor  ! 
Veniamo  !  Veniamo  !  su,  o  giovani  schiere  ! 
Su  al  vento  per  tutto  le  nostre  bandiere ! 
Su  tutti  col  ferro,  su  tutti  col  foco, 
Su  tutti  col  foco  d'ltalia  nei  cor. 

Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora  ch'e  l'ora, 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora,  o  stranier. 

La  terra  dei  fiori,  dei  suoni  e  dei  carmi 
Ritorni  quai  era  la  terra  deH'arnii ! 
Di  cento  catene  ci  avvinser  la  mano, 
Ma  ancor  di  Legnano  sa  i  ferri  brandir. 

Bastone  tedesco  l'ltalia  non  doma, 

Non  crescon  al  giogo  le  stirpi  di  Roma ; 
Piu  Italia  non  vuole  stranieri  e  tiranni, 
Gia  troppi  son  gli  anni  che  dura  il  servir. 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora  ch'e  l'ora, 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora,  o  stranier. 

Le  case  d'ltalia  son  fatte  per  noi, 

£  Ik  sul  Danubio  la  casa  de'  tuoi ; 

Tu  i  camoi  ci  guasti,  tu  il  pane  c'involi, 

I  nostri  figliuoli  per  noi  li  vogliam. 

Son  l'Alpi  e  i  due  mari  d'ltalia  i  confini, 

Col  carro  di  foco  rompiam  gli  Apennini ; 
Distrutto  ogni  segno  di  vecchia  frontiera, 
La  nostra  bandiera  per  tutto  innalziam. 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora  ch'e  l'ora, 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora,  o  stranier. 

Sien  mute  le  lingue,  sien  pronte  le  braccia; 
Soltanto  al  nimico  volgiamo  la  faccia, 
E  tosto  oltre  i  monti  n'andra  lo  straniero, 
Se  tutta  un  pensiero  l'ltalia  sara. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    65 

Non  basta  il  trionfo  di  barbare  spoglie, 
Si  chiudan  ai  ladri  d'ltalia  le  soglie; 
Le  genti  d'ltalia  son  tutte  una  sola, 
Son  tutte  una  sola  le  cento  citta. 

Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora  ch'e  l'ora, 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora,  o  stranier. 

Se  ancora  dell'Alpi  tentasser  gli  spaldi, 
II  grido  ctalFarmi  dara  Garibaldi ; 
E  s'arma  alio  squillo,  che  vien  da  Caprera, 
Dei  mille  la  schiera  che  l'Etna  assalto. 

E  dietro  alia  rossa  vanguardia  dei  bravi 
Si  muovon  d'ltalia  le  tende  e  le  navi ; 
Gia  ratto  sull'orma  del  fido  guerriero 
L'ardente  destriero  Vittorio  sprono. 

Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora  ch'e  l'ora, 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora,  o  stranier. 

Per  sempre  e  caduto  degli  empi  l'orgoglio, 
A  dir-viva  Italia-va  il  Re  in  Campidoglio, 
La  Senna  e  il  Tamigi  saluta  ed  onora 
L'antica  signora  che  torna  a  regnar. 

Contenta  del  regno  fra  l'isole  e  i  monti 
Soltanto  ai  tiranni  minaccia  le  fronli ; 
Dovunque  le  genti  percuota  un  tiranno 
Suoi  figli  usciranno  per  terra  e  per  mar. 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora  ch'e  l'ora, 
Va  fuora  d'ltalia,  va  fuora,  o  stranier. 

A  friend  has  kindly  sent  me  the  following  free  trans- 
lation of  the  first  stanza:  — 

Uplifted  the  tombstones ! 

Our  martvrs  arisen  ! 

Brave  Italy's  bravest 

Have  leapt  from  Death's  prison  ! 

5 


66  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Fair  bays  on  each  forehead, 
Each  hand  with  its  steel, 
Hearts  beating  and  burning 
For  Italy's  weal. 

Up  !  up  !  oh  my  brothers, 
And  chase  from  our  land 
The  foeman,  the  alien, 
With  sword  and  with  brand  ! 
Wave,  wave  your  bright  banners 
The  while  glad  and  high 
Throb  hearts  that  so  proudly 
For  Italy  die ! 

EL  —  Ancient  Hymns. 

20 -THE  MAGNIFICAT. 

The  song  of  the  Virgin  Mary  on  learning  that  she  was 
to  be  the  mother  of  the  Messiah  takes  precedence  of 
all  other  hymns  of  the  Church.  There  is  a  curiously 
persistent  note  in  it,  of  the  exaltation  of  the  humble, 
and  the  humiliation  of  the  powerful,  that  must  have 
sounded  ill  in  the  ears  of  the  monarchs  and  nobles  and 
champions  of  the  constituted  order.  It  is  peculiarly 
fitting  that  this  revolutionary  paean  of  gratitude  should 
be  adopted  by  the  Church  from  the  lips  of  a  woman, 
for,  as  any  one  may  discover  who  cares  to  look  facts  in 
the  face,  or  even  to  read  such  a  text-book  as  Mill's 
"Subjection  of  Women,"  woman,  after  all  these  cen- 
turies, is  still  everywhere  awaiting  the  fulfilment  of  the 
promise  — "  deposuit  potentes  de  sede,  et  exaltavit 
humiles." 

MY  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord, 
And  my  spirit  hath   rejoiced  in    God    my 
Saviour. 

For  he  hath  regarded  the  low  estate  of  his  hand- 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE   HELPED. 


6/ 


maiden :  for,  behold,  from  henceforth  all  genera- 
tions shall  call  me  blessed. 

For  he  that  is  mighty  hath  done  to  me  great 
things ;   and  holy  is  his  name. 

And  his  mercy  is  on  them  that  fear  him  from 
generation  to  generation. 

He  hath  showed  strength  with  his  arm ;  he  hath 
scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagination  of  their  hearts. 

He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seats, 
and  exalted  them  of  low  degree. 

He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things;  and 
the  rich  he  hath  sent  empty  away. 

He  hath  holpen  his  servant  Israel,  in  remem- 
brance of  his  mercy  ; 

As  he  spake  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham,  and  to 
his  seed  for  ever. 


M 


meo. 


AGNIFICAT  :  anima  mea  Dominum. 

Et  exultavit  spiritus  meus :  in  Deo  salutari 


Quia  respexit  humilitatem  ancillae  suae:  ecce 
enim  ex  hoc  beatam  me  dicent  omnes  generationes. 

Quia  fecit  mihi  magna  qui  potens  est:  et  sanc- 
tum nomen  ejus. 

Et  misericordia  ejus  a  progenie  in  progenies : 
timentibus  eum. 

Fecit  potentiam  in  brachio  suo :  dispersit  super- 
bos  mente  cordis  sui. 

Deposuit  potentes  de  sede :  et  exaltavit  humiles. 

Esurientes  implevit  bonis:  et  divites  dimisit 
inanes. 

Suscepit  Israel  puerum  suum  :  recordatus  mis- 
ericordiae  suae. 

Sicut  locutus  est  ad  patres  nostros :  Abraham,  et 
semini  ejus  in  saecula. 

Gloria  Patri,  etc. 


68  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


2 J— GLORIA  IN  EXCELSIS. 

After  the  Magnificat,  this  may  properly  be  regarded 
as  the  earliest  Christian  hymn.  It  is  built  up  as  from 
a  foundation  upon  the  angels'  song  which  the  shepherds 
heard  who  were  keeping  their  flocks  by  night  when 
Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea.  But  the  an- 
them that  sufficed  for  the  angels  at  the  Nativity  was 
soon  found  inadequate  for  the  Church  that  worshipped 
the  Crucified.  Hence  the  evolution  of  the  Gloria, 
which  by  the  end  of  the  fifth  century  had  been  de- 
veloped into  the  hymn  which,  with  variations  in  one 
clause,  is  used  alike  by  Greek,  Latin,  and  Protestant 
believers  all  over  the  world.  The  text  is  here  given  in 
Latin  and  English.  The  Greeks  say  instead  of  "  O 
Lord,  the  only  begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ,"  '*  Lord,  the 
only  begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ  and  Holy  Spirit." 

GLORY  be  to  God  on  high,  and  in  earth  peace, 
good-will  towards  men. 

We  praise  Thee,  we  bless  Thee,  we  worship 
Thee,  we  glorify  Thee. 

We  give  thanks  to  Thee,  for  Thy  great  glory. 

O  Lord  God,  heavenly  King,  God  the  Father 
Almighty, 

O  Lord,  the  only  begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 

O  Lord  God,  Lamb  of  God,  Son  of  the  Father, 

That  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  have 
mercy  upon  us. 

Thou  that  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  have 
mercy  upon  us. 

Thou  that  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world, 
receive  our  prayer. 

Thou  that  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the 
Father,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

For  Thou  only  art  holy,  Thou  only  art  the  Lord. 

Thou  only,  O  Christ,  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  art 
most  high  in  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.     Amen. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  69 

("^LORIA  in  excelsis  Deo.  Et  in  terra  pax  ho- 
3     minibus  bonae  voluntatis. 

Laudamus  te.  Benedicimus  te.  Adoramus  te. 
Glorificamus  te. 

Gratias  agimus  tibi  propter  magnam  gloriam 
tuam.  [potens. 

Domine  Deus,  Rex  caelestis,  Deus  Pater  omni- 

Domine  Fili  unigenite  Jesu  Christe. 

Domine  Deus.     Agnus  Dei,  Filius  Patris. 

Qui  tollis  peccata  mundi,  miserere  nobis. 

Qui  tollis  peccata  mundi,  suscipe  deprecationem 
nostram. 

Qui  sedes  ad  dexteram  Patris,  miserere  nobis. 

Quoniam  tu  solus  sanctus.     Tu  solus  Dominus. 

Tu  solus  altissimus  Jesu  Christe.  Cum  sancto 
Spiritu,  in  gloria  Dei  Patris.     Amen. 

This  hymn  is  believed  to  have  been  the  morning 
song  of  the  Christians  in  primitive  days,  —  the  hymn 
sung  by  the  martyrs  as  the  day  dawned,  on  which  they 
were  to  be  butchered,  to  make  a  Roman  holiday.  For 
nearly  nineteen  centuries  it  spans  the  history  of  our 
race  with  a  ray  of  melody  and  light.  This  hymn  has 
helped  indeed. 

22  — NUNC  DIMITTIS. 

Simeon's  song  of  thankfulness  on  seeing  the  infant 
Christ  has  been  frequently  paraphrased,  but  the  non- 
metrical  version  is  most  used  and  best  known. 

LORD,  now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in 
peace  :  according  to  Thy  word. 
For  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation. 
Which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all 
people. 

A  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles :  and  the  glory  of 
Thy  people  Israel. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  etc. 


70 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


Ant.     Salva  nos. 

NUNC  dimittis  servum  tuum,  Domine  :*  secun- 
dum verbum  tuum  in  pace. 

Quia  viderunt  oculi  mei  *  salutare  tuum. 

Quod  parasti  *  ante  faciem  omnium  populorum. 

Lumen  ad  revelationem  gentium,*  et  gloriam 
plebis  tuae  Israel. 

Gloria  Patri. 

Ant.  Salva  nos,  Domine,  vigilantes,  custodi  nos 
dormientes :  ut  vigilemus  cum  Christo,  et  requies- 
camus  in  pace. 


23  — THE  CANDLE-LIGHT  HYMN. 

The  Evening  Hymn,  the  Phos  Hilaron,  quoted  by  St. 
Basil  in  the  fourth  century,  dates  from  the  first  or  sec- 
ond century.  As  the  Gloria  was  the  Christian's  salute 
to  the  rising  sun,  so  the  Phos  Hilaron  was  sung  at 
eventide  when  the  time  of  the  lighting  of  lamps  had 
come.  It  is  still  used  as  the  Vesper  Hymn  in  the  Greek 
churches.     The  following  is  Keble's  translation  :  — 

HAIL,   gladdening    Light,   of    His   pure   glory 
pour'd 
Who  is  the  Immortal  Father,  Heavenly,  Blast, 
Holiest  of  Holies,  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord. 
Now  we  are  come  to  the  sun's  hour  of  rest, 
The  lights  of  evening  round  us  shine, 
We  hymn  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  Divine. 

Worthiest  art  Thou  at  all  times  to  be  sung 

With  undefined  tongue, 
Son  of  our  God,  Giver  of  life,  Alone  ! 
Therefore  in  all  the  world  Thy  glories,  Lord,  they 
own.     Amen. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


71 


24  — THE  HYMN  OF  THE  CATACOMBS, 

Those  who  have  wandered  through  any  part  of  the  ten 
miles  of  the  labyrinth  known  as  the  Catacombs  of  Calix- 
tus,  which  are  said  to  contain  the  remains  of  a  million 
Christian  dead,  will  be  familiar  with  the  constant,  almost 
infantile,  persistence  of  the  reference  to  Christ  in  inscrip- 
tions. Whether  it  is  the  dove,  or  the  palm,  or  the  fish, 
or  the  sacred  monogram,  it  is  always  Jesus  Christ,  Son 
of  God,  Saviour.  They  had  fallen  in  love  with  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  had  these  hunted  Christians,  and  they 
carved  his  name  everywhere,  or  his  symbol,  as  the 
lovelorn  Orlando  chiselled  Rosalind's  name  on  the 
bark  of  the  trees  in  the  forest  of  Ardennes.  From 
these  early  days,  when  for  the  first  time  the  human 
heart  felt  the  fresh  gush  of  passionate  love  for  the 
Divine,  made  Man  in  order  to  become  the  Heavenly 
Bridegroom  of  his  Spouse  of  the  Church,  there  has  come 
down  to  us  little  in  the  shape  of  authentic  song  save 
that  hymn  which,  versified  as  the  hymn  "  Shepherd  of 
Tender  Youth/'  is  still  to  be  heard  in  our  churches  to- 
day. But  how  different  the  circumstances  of  the  mod- 
ern congregation  and  those  under  which  the  little  flock 
of  the  persecuted  mustered  in  the  black  subterranean 
City  of  the  Dead  to  enjoy  the  ecstasy  of  singing  to  Him 
whose  love  made  the  horrors  of  the  torture-chamber 
and  the  shame  of  the  Colosseum  sweeter  than  all  the 
honours  and  glories  of  the  world.  "  Nowhere,"  says 
Zola,  in  his  masterly  picture  of  Rome,  "  had  there  been 
more  intimate  and  touching  life  than  in  these  buried 
cities  of  the  unknown  lowly  dead,  so  gentle,  so  beautiful, 
and  so  chaste.  And  a  mighty  breath  had  formerly  come 
from  them,  the  breath  of  a  new  humanity  destined  to 
renew  the  world.  With  the  advent  of  meekness,  con- 
tempt of  the  flesh,  relinquishment  of  terrestrial  joys, 
and  a  passion  for  death,  which  delivers  and  opens  the 
portals  of  Paradise,  a  new  world  had  begun."  And 
this  ancient  hymn,  sole  survivor  of  many  such  which 


c 


72  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

helped  them  to  the  hidden  source  of  their  strength, 
still,  after  all  these  centuries,  exhales  somewhat  of  the 
mystic  fragrance  which  lingered  around  that  mighty 
love  by  which  they  overcame  the  world.  The  following 
is  the  translation  of  Dean  Plumptre  :  — 

kURB  for  the  stubborn  steed, 
Making  its  will  give  heed  ; 
Wing  that  directest  right 
The  wild  bird's  wandering  flight ; 
Helm  for  the  ships  that  keep 
Their  pathway  o'er  the  deep  ; 
Shepherd  of  sheep  that  own 
Their  Master  on  the  Throne, 
Stir  up  Thy  children  meek 
With  guileless  lips  to  speak, 
In  hymn  and  song  Thy  praise, 
Guide  of  their  infant  ways. 
O  King  of  saints,  O  Lord, 
Mighty,  all-conquering  Word; 
Son  of  the  highest  God 
Wielding  His  wisdom's  rod  ; 
Our  stay  when  cares  annoy, 
Giver  of  endless  joy  ; 
Of  all  our  mortal  race 
Saviour  of  boundless  grace, 

O  Jesus,  hear! 
Shepherd  and  Sower  Thou, 
Now  helm,  and  bridle  now, 
Wing  for  the  heavenward  flight 
Of  flock  all  pure  and  bright, 
Fisher  of  men,  the  blest, 
Out  of  the  world's  unrest, 
Out  of  Sin's  troubled  sea 
Taking  us,  Lord,  to  Thee; 
Out  of  the  waves  of  strife, 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


73 


With  bait  of  blissful  life, 
With  choicest  fish,  good  store, 
Drawing  Thy  nets  to  shore. 
Lead  us,  O  Shepherd  true, 
Thy  mystic  sheep,  we  sue, 
Lead  us,  O  holy  Lord, 
Who  from  Thy  sons  dost  ward, 
With  all-prevailing  charm, 
Peril,  and  curse,  and  harm  : 
O  path  where  Christ  has  trod, 
O  Way  that  leads  to  God, 
O  Word,  abiding  aye, 
O  endless  light  on  high, 
Mercy's  fresh-springing  flood. 
Worker  of  all  things  good, 
O  glorious  life  of  all 
That  on  their  Maker  call, 

Christ  Jesus,  hear; 
O  milk  of  Heaven,  that  prest 
From  full  o'erflowing  breast 
Of  her,  the  mystic  Bride, 
Thy  wisdom  hath  supplied ; 
Thine  infant  children  seek, 
With  baby  lips,  all  weak. 
Filled  with  the  Spirit's  dew 
From  that  dear  bosom  true, 
Thy  praises  pure  to  sing, 
Hymns  meet  for  Thee,  our  King, 

For  Thee,  the  Christ; 
Our  holy  tribute  this, 
For  wisdom,  life  and  bliss, 
Singing  in  chorus  meet, 
Singing  in  concert  sweet, 
The  Almighty  Son. 
We,  heirs  of  peace  unpriced, 


74         pYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

We,  who  are  born  in  Christ, 
A  people  pure  from  stain, 
Praise  we  our  God  again, 

Lord  of  our  Peace ! 

25  — "  ART  THOU  WEARY,  ART  THOU 

LANGUID?" 

The  Monastery  of  Mar  Saba,  founded  before  the  He- 
gira  of  Mohammed,  still  stands  on  its  ancient  rock 
looking  down  upon  the  valley  of  the  Kedron.  Forty 
monks  still  inhabit  the  cells  which  cluster  round  the 
grave  of  St.  Sabas,  the  founder,  who  died  in  532,  and 
still  far  below  in  the  depths  of  the  gorge  the  wolves 
and  the  jackals  muster  at  morning  light  to  eat  the  offal 
and  refuse  which  the  monks  fling  down  below.  In  this 
monastic  fortress  lived  in  the  eighth  century  a  monk 
named  Stephen,  who,  before  he  died,  was  gifted  from 
on  high  with  the  supreme  talent  of  embodying  in  a 
simple  hymn  so  much  of  the  essence  of  the  Divine  life 
that  came  to  the  world  through  Christ  Jesus  that  in 
this  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  no  hymn 
more  profoundly  touches  the  heart  and  raises  the  spir- 
its of  Christian  worshippers.  Dr.  Neale  paraphrased 
this  song  of  Stephen  the  Sabaite,  so  that  this  strain, 
originally  raised  on  the  stern  ramparts  of  an  outpost 
of  Eastern  Christendom  already  threatened  with  sub 
mersion  beneath  the  flood  of  Moslem  conquest,  rings 
with  ever  increasing  volume  of  melodious  sound  through 
the  whole  wide  world  to-day. 

RT  thou  weary,  art  thou  languid, 
Art  thou  sore  distrest? 
"  Come  to  Me,"  saith  One,  "  and  coming, 
Be  at  rest." 


A] 


Hath  He  marks  to  lead  me  to  Him, 

If  He  be  my  guide  ? 
"  In  His  feet  and  hands  are  wound-prints, 
And  His  side." 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


75 


Is  there  diadem,  as  monarch, 

That  His  brow  adorns? 
"Yes,  a  crown,  in  very  surety, 
But  of  thorns  !  " 

If  I  find  Him,  if  I  follow, 

What  His  guerdon  here? 
"  Many  a  sorrow,  many  a  labour, 
Many  a  tear." 

If  I  still  hold  closely  to  Him, 

What  hath  He  at  last? 
"  Sorrow  vanquished,  labour  ended, 
Jordan  past ! " 

If  I  ask  Him  to  receive  me, 

Will  He  say  me  nay  ? 
"  Not  till  earth,  and  not  till  heaven, 
Pass  away  !  " 

Finding,  following,  keeping,  struggling, 

Is  He  sure  to  bless? 
"Angels,  prophets,  martyrs,  virgins, 
Answer,  Yes  !  " 

Tune  —  "  Stephanos." 

Mr.  Duffield  reminds  us  of  a  reference  to  a  verse  of 
this  hymn  which  affords  a  bizarre  but  suggestive  con- 
trast to  the  life  in  the  austere  and  secluded  monastery 
where  it  first  was  given  to  the  world.  Mr.  Duffield 
says  :  — 

"  Miss  Sally  Pratt  McLean  has  used  this  hymn  in  her 
story  of  '  Cape  Cod  Folks  '  (p.  300).  It  is  the  duef 
which  George  Oliver  and  Benny  Cradlebow  sing  to- 
gether as  they  are  mending  the  boat  just  before  Cradle- 
bow's  heroic  death.     Captain  Arkell  tells  of  it  thus : 

" '  By  and  by,  him  and  George  Oliver  struck  up  a 
song.  I  've  heern  'em  sing  it  before,  them  two.  As 
nigh   as  I  calc'late,  it 's  about  finding  rest   in   Jesus, 


76 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


and  one  a  askin'  questions,  all  fa'r  and  squar',  to  know 
the  way  and  whether  it 's  goin'  to  lead  thar  straight  or 
not,  and  the  other  answerin'.  And  he  was  a  tinkerin' 
'way  up  on  the  foremast.  George  Oliver  and  the  rest 
of  us  was  astern,  and  I  '11  hear  to  my  dyin'  day  how  his 
voice  came  a  floatin'  down  to  us  thar,  — chantin'  like  it 
was,  —  cl'ar  and  fearless  and  slow.  So  he  asks,  for 
findin'  Jesus,  ef  thar 's  any  marks  to  foller  by ;  and 
George,  he  answers  about  them  bleedin'  nail-prints, 
and  the  great  one  in  his  side.  So  then  that  voice 
comes  down  agin,  askin'  if  thar 's  any  crown,  like 
other  kings,  to  tell  him  by  ;  and  George,  he  answers 
straight  about  that  crown  o'  thorns.  Then  says  that 
other  voice,  floatin'  so  strong  and  cl'ar,  and  if  he  gin 
up  all  and  follered,  what  should  he  have  ?  What  how  ? 
So  George,  he  sings  deep  o'  the  trial  and  the  sorrowin'. 
But  that  other  voice  never  shook  'a  askin',  and  wmat  if 
he  helt  to  him  to  the  end,  what  then  should  it  be  — 
what  then  ?  George  Oliver  answers  :  u  Forevermore, 
the  sorrowin'  ended — Death  gone  over."  Then  he 
sings  out,  like  his  mind  was  all  made  up,  "  And  if  he 
undertook  it,  would  he  likely  be  turned  away  ? "  "  And 
it 's  likelier,"  George  answers  him,  "  that  heaven  and 
earth  shall  pass."  So  I  '11  hear  it  to  my  dyin'  day,  his 
voice  a  floatin'  down  to  me  from  up  above  thar,  askin' 
them  questions  that  nobody  could  ever  answer  like,  so 
soon  he  answered  'em  for  himself.'  " 

26— VENI  CREATOR  SPIRITUS. 

For  nine  hundred  years  this  hymn  has  been  in  constant 
use  in  the  West.  It  has  been  ascribed  to  Charlemagne, 
St.  Ambrose,  and  Gregory  the  Great.  It  has  been  trans- 
lated by  Dryden,  Luther,  Bishop  Cosin,  and  innumer- 
able other  singers.  Ekkehard,  the  Monk  of  St.  Gall, 
says  that  the  groaning  of  a  water-wheel,  whose  supply 
of  water  was  running  short,  suggested  to  Notker,  who 
was  lying  sleepless  in  an  adjoining  dormitory,  the  pos- 
sibility  of   setting   its   melancholy   moaning  to   music. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


77 


He  succeeded  so  well  that  he  produced  the  Sequence 
on  the  Holy  Spirit,  which,  being  sent  by  him  to  Charles 
(the  Fat,  not  Charlemagne),  led  the  latter  to  compose 
the  "  Veni  Creator  Spiritus."  A  strange  legend  as  to 
the  origin  of  a  hymn  that,  among  its  other  achieve- 
ments, has  the  singular  good  fortune  of  being  the  only 
hymn  in  the  English  Prayer  Book.  Bishop  Cosin's 
version  of  the  hymn  has  been  used  for  over  two  hun- 
dred years  at  the  Consecration  of  Anglican  bishops 
and  priests.  In  the  Roman  Church  it  was  appointed 
for  use  at  the  Creation  of  a  Pope,  the  Election  of  a 
Bishop,  the  Coronation  of  Kings,  and  the  Elevation  and 
Translation  of  Saints.  The  Latin  version  is  that  now  in 
use  in  the  Roman  Church.  It  differs  slightly  —  chiefly 
in  the  order  of  the  words  —  from  the  original  version. 

COME,  Holy  Ghost,  our  souls  inspire, 
And  lighten  with  celestial  fire  ; 
Thou  the  anointing  Spirit  art, 
Who  dost  Thy  sevenfold  gifts  impart : 
Thy  blessed  unction  from  above 
Is  comfort,  life,  and  fire  of  love. 

Enable  with  perpetual  light 
The  dullness    of  our  blinded  sight : 
Anoint  and  cheer  our  soiled  face 
With  the  abundance  of  Thy  grace  : 
Keep  far  our  foes,  give  peace  at  home  ; 
Where  Thou  art  Guide  no  ill  can  come. 

Teach  us  to  know  the  Father,  Son, 
And  Thee,  of  Both,  to  be  but  One ; 
That  through  the  ages  all  along 
This  may  be  our  endless  song, 

Praise  to  Thy  eternal  merit, 

Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit. 

Amen. 


78    HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

\7"ENI,  Creator  Spiritus, 
Mentes  tuorum  visita, 
Imple  superna  gratia, 
Quae  tu  creasti  pectora. 

Qui  diceris  Paraclitus, 
Altissimi  donum  Dei, 
Fons  vivus,  ignis,  charitas, 
Et  spiritalis  unctio. 

Tu  septiformis  munere, 
Digitus  Paternae  dexterae, 
Tu  rite  promissum  Patris, 
Sermone  ditans  guttura. 

Accende  lumen  sensibus, 
Infunde  amorem  cordibus, 
Infirma  nostri  corporis, 
Virtute  firmans  perpeti. 

Hostem  repellas  longius, 
Pacemque  dones  protinus  ; 
Ductore  sic  te  praevio 
Vitemus  omne  noxium. 

Per  te  sciamus  da  Patrem, 
Noscamus  atque  Filium, 
Teque  utriusque  Spiritum 
Credamus  omni  tempore. 

Tune — "  Veni  Creator,  No.  i." 

The  Primate  of  Scotland  says  that  he  uses  this  hymn 
more  than  daily,  and  loves  it  beyond  all  others.  Pro- 
fessor Barrett,  speaking  of  his  own  experience,  says  : 
"  There  is  no  hymn  which  dwells  so  vividly  in  my 
memory  as  this,  nor  do  I  think  any  has  been  more 
stirring  and  helpful  to  me." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


79 


IV. — Times  and  Seasons* 

27  — CHRISTMAS.     ADESTE  FIDELES. 

The  use  of  this  Christmas  hymn  only  dates  from  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  although  it  may  have  been 
composed  a  century  earlier. 

OCOME,  all  ye  faithful, 
Joyful  and  triumphant, 
O  come  ye,  O  come  ye  to  Bethlehem ; 

Come  and  behold  Him 

Born,  the  King  of  Angels  ; 

O  come,  let  us  adore  Him, 

O  come,  let  us  adore  Him, 
O  come,  let  us  adore  Him,  Christ  the  Lord- 
God  of  God, 

Light  of  Light, 
Lo !   He  abhors  not  the  Virgin's  womb; 

Very  God, 

Begotten,  not  created ; 

O  come,  let  us  adore  Him,  etc. 

Sing,  choirs  of  Angels, 
Sing  in  exultation, 
Sing,  all  ye  citizens  of  Heav'n  above : 
"  Glory  to  God 
In  the  highest ;  " 
O  come,  let  us  adore  Him,  etc. 

Yea,  Lord,  we  greet  Thee, 
Born  this  happy  morning  ; 
Jesu,  to  Thee  be  glory  given ; 
Word  of  the  Father, 
Now  in  flesh  appearing; 


80  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

O  come,  let  us  adore  Him, 
O  come,  let  us  adore  Him, 
O  come,  let  us  adore  Him,  Christ  the  Lord. 
Amen. 

ADESTE,  fiddles, 
Laeti  triumphdntes ; 
Venite,  venite  in  Bethlehem  ; 
Ndtum  videte      *• 
Regem  angeldrum ; 
Venite  adore'mus, 
Venite  adore'mus, 
Venite  adore'mus  Dominum. 

Deum  de  Deo, 
Lumen  de  Lumine, 
Gestant  puellae  viscera : 
Deum  veVum, 
Genitum  non  fdctum  : 
Venite  adore'mus,  etc. 

Cantet  nunc  Io 
Chorus  angel6rum ; 
Cantet  nunc  aula  ccele'stium, 
Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo: 
Venite  adore'mus,  etc. 

Ergo  qui  ndtus 
Die  hodierna, 
Jesu,  Tibi  sit  gl<5ria  : 
Patris  aeterni 
Verbum  caro  factum  : 
Venite  adordmus,  etc. 

Tune — "Adeste  Fideles." 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE  HELPED.  8 1 

28  —  CHRISTMAS.     HARK!    THE    HERALD 

ANGELS  SING. 

This  familiar  Christmas  hymn  was  originally  written, 
"  Hark  how  all  the  welkin  rings,"  as  is  shown  within 
brackets,  and  also  in  the  second  verse  there  is  a 
change.  It  is  printed  at  the  end  of  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer,  and  is  the  only  Wesleyan  hymn  thus 
favoured.  Both  the  hymn  and  the  tune  are  insepa- 
rably associated  with  the  English  Christmas. 

HARK  !  the  herald  angels  sing,  — 
Glory  to  the  new-born  King; 
[Hark  how  all  the  welkin  rings, 
"  Glory  to  the  King  of  kings,] 
Peace  on  earth,  and  mercy  mild, 
God  and  sinners  reconciled  !  " 

Joyful,  all  ye  nations,  rise, 

Join  the  triumph  of  the  skies ; 

With  the  angelic  host  proclaim, 

Christ  is  born  in  Bethlehem. 

[Universal  Nature,  say, 

"  Christ  the  Lord  is  born  to-day  !"] 

Christ,  by  highest  heaven  adored, 
Christ,  the  everlasting  Lord, 
Late  in  time  behold  Him  come, 
Offspring  of  a  virgin's  womb. 

Veiled  in  flesh,  the  Godhead  see, 
Hail,  the  Incarnate  Deity  ! 
Pleased  as  man  with  men  to  appear, 
Jesus,  our  Immanuel  here  ! 

Hail,  the  heavenly  Prince  of  Peace  ! 
Hail,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  ! 
Light  and  life  to  all  He  brings, 
Risen  with  healing  in  His  wings. 


82  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Mild  He  lays  His  glory  by, 
Born,  that  man  no  more  may  die, 
Born,  to  raise  the  sons  of  earth, 
Born,  to  give  them  second  birth. 

Come,  Desire  of  Nations,  come, 
Fix  in  us  Thy  humble  home ; 
Rise,  the  woman's  conquering  Seed, 
Bruise  in  us  the  Serpent's  head. 

Now  display  Thy  saving  power, 
Ruined  nature  now  restore  ; 
Now  in  mystic  union  join 
Thine  to  ours,  and  ours  to  Thine. 

Adam's  likeness,  Lord,  efface, 
Stamp  Thy  image  in  its  place ; 
Second  Adam  from  above, 
Reinstate  us  in  Thy  love. 

Let  us  Thee,  though  lost,  regain, 
Thee,  the  Life,  the  Heavenly  Man: 
Oh  !  to  all  Thyself  impart, 
Formed  in  each  believing  heart. 

29  — LENT,     MISERERE. 

The  penitential  psalm  (the  fifty-first),  attributed  to 
David  after  his  sin  with  Bathsheba,  is,  perhaps,  of  all 
the  psalms  in  the  Psalter,  that  which  has  helped  men 
most.  Mr.  Marson  says,  in  his  "  Psalms  at  Work  "  : 
"  None  of  the  other  psalms  have  had  half  the  effect 
upon  men's  minds  that  this  one  has  had.  It  has  a 
library  of  its  own."  It  was  the  favourite  of  Aldhelm 
in  the  eighth  century  and  of  Keble  in  the  nineteenth, 

HAVE  mercy  upon  me,  O  God,  according  to 
thy  lovingkindness ;  according  unto  the 
multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies  blot  out  my  trans- 
gressions. 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


33 


Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity,  and 
cleanse  me  from  my  sin. 

For  I  acknowledge  my  trangressions  ;  and  my 
sin  is  ever  before  me. 

Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and  done 
this  evil  in  thy  sight;  that  thou  mightest  be  justified 
when  thou  speakest,  and  be  clear  when  thou  judgest. 

Behold  I  was  shapen  in  iniquity ;  and  in  sin  did 
my  mother  conceive  me. 

Behold,  thou  desirest  truth  in  the  inward  parts; 
and  in  the  hidden  part  thou  shalt  make  me  to  know 
wisdom. 

Purge  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean ; 
wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow. 

Make  me  to  hear  joy  and  gladness ;  that  the 
bones  which  thou  hast  broken  may  rejoice. 

Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins,  and  blot  out  all 
mine  iniquities. 

Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God ;  and  renew 
a  right  spirit  within  me. 

Cast  me  not  away  from  thy  presence ;  and  take 
not  thy  holy  spirit  from  me. 

Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  my  salvation ;  and 
uphold  me  with  thy  free  spirit. 

Then  will  I  teach  transgressors  thy  ways  ;  and 
sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  thee. 

Deliver  me  from  bloodguiltiness,  O  God,  thou 
God  of  my  salvation ;  and  my  tongue  shall  sing 
aloud  of  thy  righteousness. 

O  Lord,  open  thou  my  lips ;  and  my  mouth  shall 
show  forth  thy  praise. 

For  thou  desirest  not  sacrifice ;  else  would  I  give 
it ;  thou  delightest  not  in  burnt  offering. 

The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit;  a 
broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not 
despise. 


84  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Do  good  in  thy  good  pleasure  unto  Zion;  build 
thou  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

Then  shalt  thou  be  pleased  with  f*»e  sacrifices  of 
righteousness,  with  burnt  offering  and  whole  burnt 
offering ;  then  shall  they  offer  bullocks  upon  thine 
altar. 

MISERERE  mei,  Deus :  secundum  magnam 
misericdrdiam  tuam. 

Et  secundum  multitudinem  miserationum  tuclrum : 
dele  iniquitdtem  meam. 

Amplius  lava  me  ab  iniquitate  mea :  et  a  peccato 
meo  munda  me. 

Quoniam  iniquitatem  meam  ego  cognosco :  et 
pecccitum  meum  contra  me  est  semper. 

Tibi  soli  peccaVi,  et  malum  coram  te  feci :  ut 
justificeris  in  sermonibus  tuis,  et  vincas  cum 
judicaris. 

Ecce  enim  in  iniquitatibus  conceptus  sum  :  et  in 
peccatis  concepit  me  mater  mea. 

Ecce  enim,  veritatem  dilexisti :  in  certa  et  occulta 
sapientiae  tuae,  manifestdsti  mihi. 

Asperges  me  hyssdpo,  et  mundabor :  lavdbis  me, 
et  super  nivem  dealbdbor. 

Auditui  meo  dabis  gaudium  et  laetitiam :  et 
exultdbunt  ossa  humiliata. 

Averte-  faciem  tuam  a  peccatis  meis  :  et  omnes 
iniquitates  meas  dele. 

Cor  mundum  crea  in  me,  Deus  :  et  spiritum 
rectum  innova  in  visceribus  meis. 

Ne  projicias  me  a  fdcie  tua  :  et  Spiritum  sanctum 
tuum  ne  auferas  a  me. 

Redde  mihi  laetitiam  salutaris  tui  :  et  spiritu 
principali  confirma  me. 

Docdbo  iniquos  vias  tuas  :  et  impii  ad  te  con- 
vertentur. 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


85 


Libera  me  de  sanguinibus,   Deus,  Deus   saliitis    * 
meae:  et  exultabit  lingua  mea  justitiam  tuam. 

Domine,  ldbia  mea  ape'ries  :  et  os  meum  annun- 
tiabit  laudem  tuam. 

Ouoniam  si  voluisses  sacrificium,  dedissem, 
utique  :  holocaustis  non  delectaberis. 

Sacrificium  Deo  spiritus  contribulatus  :  cor  con- 
tritum  et  humilidtum,  Deus,  non  despicies. 

Benigne,  fac,  Ddmine,  in  bona  voluntate  tua 
Sion  :  ut  aedificentur  muri  Jerusalem. 

Tunc  acceptabis  sacrificium  justitiae,  oblationes, 
et  holocausta :   tunc  imponent   super   altare   tuum  - 
vitulos. 

Gloria  Patri,  etc. 

Dr.  Ker,  writing  on  the  same  theme  in  "  The  Psalms 
in  History,"  says :  "  It  was  sung  by  George  Wishart 
and  his  friends  the  night  he  was  taken  prisoner,  to  be 
afterwards  burned.  It  was  read  to  Lady  Jane  Grey  and 
her  husband,  Guildford  Dudley,  when  they  were  exe- 
cuted together,  August  22,  1553  —  read  to  her  in  Latin, 
and  repeated  by  her  in  English.  It  was  also  read  at 
Norfolk's  execution  a  few  years  later.  For  a  long 
period  in  the  Middle  Ages,  and  after  the  Reformation, 
it  was  the  Miserere,  the  last  cry  for  mercy  sung  or 
heard  by  those  who  were  about  to  step  into  the  presence 
of  the  Judge.  Most  of  the  Huguenots  made  it  their 
death-song." 

30  — GOOD  FRIDAY.    STABAT  MATER. 

This  most  pathetic  hymn  of  the  Middle  Ages  is  not  so 
well  known  among  Protestants  as  it  ought  to  be.  "  The 
vividness  with  which  it  pictures  the  weeping  mother  at 
the  Cross,  its  tenderness,  its  beauty  of  rhythm,  its  melo- 
dious double  rhymes,  and  its  impressiveness  when  sung 
either  to  the  fine  plain  song  melody  or  in  the  noble 
compositions  which  many  of  the  great  masters  of  music 
have  set  to  it,  go  far  to  justify  the  place  it  has  long  held 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church." 


86    HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

It  dates  in  its  present  form  from  about  1150.  It  has 
been  attributed  to  four  Popes,  to  St.  Bernard,  and 
others,  but  was  really  written  by  Jacopone,  Jacobus  de 
Benedictis.  The  Flagellants  used  it  to  help  them  to  bear 
the  lashes  which  they  inflicted  on  each  other  as  they 
wandered  from  town  to  town  in  the  fourteenth  century. 
It  has  been  translated  seventy-eight  times  into  German, 
and  many  times  into  every  other  language.  It  has 
been  set  to  music  by  Palestrina,  Pergolesi,  Haydn, 
Rossini,  and  Dvorak.  It  has  been  Protestantised  by 
mutilation  in  Hymns  Ancient  and  Modern.  I  give  here 
the  Latin  and  English  versions  from  the  Roman  Catho« 
lie  Parochial  Hymn-Book. 

AT  the  cross  her  station  keeping, 
Stood  the  mournful  mother  weeping 
Close  to  Jesus  to  the  last ; 
Through  her  heart  His  sorrow  sharing, 
All  His  bitter  anguish  bearing, 

Now  at  length  the  sword  had  passed. 

Oh,  how  sad  and  sore  distressed 
Was  that  Mother  highly  blessed 

Of  the  sole-begotten  One  ! 
Christ  above  in  torment  hangs, 
She  beneath  beholds  the  pangs 

Of  her  dying  glorious  Son. 

Is  there  one  who  would  not  weep, 
Whelmed  in  miseries  so  deep, 

Christ's  dear  Mother  to  behold? 
Can  the  human  heart  refrain 
From  partaking  in  her  pain, 

In  that  Mother's  pain  untold? 

Bruised,  derided,  cursed,  defiled, 
She  beheld  her  tender  child 
All  with  bloody  scourges  rent, 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

For  the  sins  of  His  own  nation, 
Saw  Him  hang  in  desolation, 
Till  His  spirit  forth  He  sent. 

O  thou  Mother  !  fount  of  love  ! 
Touch  my  spirit  from  above, 

Make  my  heart  with  thine  accord  ; 
Make  me  feel  as  thou  hast  felt ; 
Make  my  soul  to  glow  and  melt 

With  the  love  of  Christ  my  Lord. 

Holy  Mother  !  pierce  me  through  ; 
In  my  heart  each  wound  renew 

Of  my  Saviour  crucified  : 
Let  me  share  with  thee  His  pain, 
Who  for  all  my  sins  was  slain, 

Who  for  me  in  torments  died. 

Let  me  mingle  tears  with  thee, 
Mourning  Him  who  mourned  for  me. 

All  the  days  that  I  may  live  : 
By  the  cross  with  thee  to  stay, 
There  with  thee  to  weep  and  pray, 

Is  all  I  ask  of  thee  to  give. 

Virgin  of  all  virgins  best, 
Listen  to  my  fond  request : 

Let  me  share  thy  grief  divine  ; 
Let  me,  to  my  latest  breath, 
In  my  body  bear  the  death 

Of  that  dying  Son  of  thine. 

Wounded  with  His  every  wound, 
Steep  my  soul  till  it  hath  swooned 

In  His  very  blood  away: 
Be  to  me,  O  Virgin,  nigh, 
Lest  in  flames  I  burn  and  die 

In  His  awful  judgment  day. 


V 


88  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Christ,  when  thou  shalt  call  me  hence, 
Be  Thy  Mother  my  defence, 

Be  Thy  cross  my  victory  ; 
While  my  body  here  decays, 
May  my  soul  Thy  goodness  praise, 

Safe  in  Paradise  with  Thee.  Amen. 

STABAT  Mater  dolorosa 
Juxta  crucem  lacrymosa, 
Dum  pendebat  Filius, 
Cujus  animam  gementem, 
Contristatam,  et  dolentem, 
Pertransivit  gladius. 

O  quam  tristis  et  afflicta 
Fuit  ilia  benedicta 

Mater  Unigeniti. 
Quae  mcerebat,  et  dolebat, 
Pia  Mater,  dum  videbat 

Nati  pcenas  inclyti. 

Ouis  est  homo  qui  non  fleret, 
Matrem  Christi  si  videret 

In  tanto  supplicio  ? 
Quis  non  posset  contristari, 
Christi  Matrem  contemplari 

Dolentem  cum  Filio  ? 

Pro  peccatis  suae  gentis 
Vidit  Jesum  in  tormentis, 

Et  flagellis  subditum. 
Vidit  suum  dulcem  Natum 
Moriendo  desolatum, 

Dum  emisit  spiritual. 

Eia  Mater,  fons  amoris, 
Me  sentire  vim  doloris, 
Fac,  ut  tecum  lugeam. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  89 

Fac  ut  ardeat  cor  meum 
In  amando  Christum  Deum, 
Ut  sibi  complaceam. 

Sancta  Mater,  istud  agas, 
Crucifixi  fige  plagas 

Cordi  meo  valide. 
Tui  Nati  vulnerati, 
Tarn  dignati  pro  me  pati, 

Poenas  mecum  divide. 

Fac  me  tecum  pie  flere, 
Crucifixo  condolere, 

Donee  ego  vixero. 
Juxta  Crucem  tecum  stare, 
Et  me  tibi  sociare 

In  planctu  desidero. 

Virgo  virginum  praeclara, 
Mihi  jam  non  sis  amara ; 

Fac  me  tecum  plangere. 
Fac  ut  portem  Christi  mortem, 
Passionis  fac  consortem, 

Et  plagas  recolere. 

Fac  me  plagis  vulnerari. 
Fac  me  Cruce  inebriari, 

Et  cruore  Filii, 
Flammis  ne  urar  succensus, 
Per  te,  Virgo,  sim  defensus 

In  die  judicii. 

Christe,  cum  sit  hinc  exire 
Da  per  Matrem  me  venire 

Ad  palmam  victoriae. 
Quando  corpus  morietur, 
Fac  ut  animae  donetur 

Paradisi  gloria.  Amen. 

Tune — "  Stabat  Mater." 


90 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


When  Sir  Walter  Scott  lay  dying,  Lockhart,  his  son- 
in-law,  after  saying  that  they  could  hear  him  muttering 
some  of  the  magnificent  hymns  of  the  Roman  ritual,  in 
which  he  had  always  delighted,  adds  :  "  We  very  often 
heard  distinctly  the  cadence  of  the  '  Dies  Irae,'  and  I 
think  the  very  last  stanza  that  we  could  make  out  was 
the  first  of  a  still  greater  favourite,  '  Stabat  Mater 
Dolorosa.'" 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  this  poem,  which  holds  all 
but  the  highest  place  in  the  hymnody  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  was  composed  by  a  man  who,  for  his  zeal  for 
reform,  was  thrown  into  jail  by  the  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities of  his  day.  He  lay  in  the  dungeon  to  which  he 
had  been  consigned  until  the  death  of  Pope  Boniface 
the  Eighth,  when  he  was  released. 

31— EASTER.    CHRIST  THE  LORD  IS 
RISEN  TO-DAY. 

This  hymn  by  Charles  Wesley,  set  to  Handel's  "  See 
the  Conquering  Hero  Comes,"  has  long  been  accepted 
as  the  best  English  Easter  hymn.  Yet  it  is  curious  to 
note  that  John  Wesley  dropped  it  out  of  the  Wesleyan 
Hymn-Book  in  1780,  and  it  did  not  regain  its  place 
there  till  1830. 

CHRIST,  the  Lord,  is  risen  to-day, 
Sons  of  men,  and  angels,  say : 
Raise  your  songs  and  triumphs  high  : 
Sing,  ye  heavens,  and  earth  reply. 

Love's  redeeming  work  is  done  : 
Fought  the  fight,  the  battle  won. 
Lo  !  our  sun's  eclipse  is  o'er  : 
Lo  !  He  sets  in  blood  no  more. 

Vain  the  stone,  the  watch,  the  seal, 
Christ  hath  burst  the  gates  of  hell; 
Death,  in  vain,  forbids  Him  rise; 
Christ  hath  opened  Paradise. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  91 

Lives  again  our  glorious  King; 
Where,  O  Death,  is  now  thy  sting? 
Once  He  died  our  souls  to  save ; 
Where  's  thy  victory,  O  Grave  ? 

Soar  we  now  where  Christ  hath  led, 
Following  our  exalted  Head:* 
Made  like  Him.  like  Him  we  rise  : 
Ours  the  cross,  the  grave,  the  skies. 

Hail!  the  Lord  of  earth  and  heaven: 
Praise  to  Thee  by  both  be  given, 
Thee  we  greet  triumphant  now: 
Hail !  the  Resurrection,  Thou  ! 

King  of  glory,  soul  of  bliss, 
Everlasting  life  is  this, 
Thee  to -know,  Thy  power  to  prove, 
Thus  to  sing,  and  thus  to  love. 

Tune  —  "Easter    Hymn"  (with   Alleluias)  from   the 
"  Lyra  Davidica." 


32  — THOMAS  AQUINAS'S  HYMN. 

A  Catholic  friend  to  whom  I  referred  the  question 
as  to  the  choice  of  hymns  that  have  helped  Catholics, 
insisted  that  I  ought  to  include  two  hymns  of  Thomas 
Aquinas.  The  worst  of  Catholic  hymns  is  that  they 
have  always  to  be  given  both  in  Latin  and  in  English  ; 
therefore,  instead  of  two  by  Aquinas,  I  only  give  one. 

SING,  my  tongue,  the  Saviour's  glory, 
Of  His  flesh  the  mystery  sing; 
Of  the  blood,  all  price  exceeding, 
Shed  by  our  Immortal  King, 
Destined  for  the  world's  redemption, 
From  a  noble  womb  to  spring. 


92  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  ■ 

Of  a  pure  and  spotless  Virgin 
Born  for  us  on  earth  below, 
He,  as  Man  with  man  conversing, 
Stayed  the  seeds  of  truth  to  sow ; 
Then  He  closed  in  solemn  order 
Wondrously  His  life  of  woe. 

On  the  night  of  that  Last  Supper, 
Seated  with  His  chosen  band, 
He  the  paschal  victim  eating, 
First  fulfils  the  Law's  command; 
Then,  as  food  to  all  His  brethren, 
Gives  Himself  with  His  own  hand. 

Word  made  flesh,  the  bread  of  nature 
By  His  Word  to  Flesh  He  turns; 
Wine  into  His  Blood  He  changes  :  — 
What  though  sense  no  change  discerns, 
Only  be  the  heart  in  earnest, 
Faith  her  lesson  quickly  learns. 

Down  in  adoration  falling, 
Lo  !  the  Sacred  Host  we  hail : 
Lo  !  o'er  ancient  forms  departing, 
Newer  rites  of  grace  prevail: 
Faith  for  all  defects  supplying, 
Where  the  feeble  senses  fail. 

To  the  Everlasting  Father, 

And  the  Son  who  reigns  on  high, 

With  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeding 

Forth  from  each  eternally, 

Be  salvation,  honour,  blessing, 

Might  and  endless  majesty.     Amen. 

PANGE  lingua  gloridsi 
Corporis  myste'rium, 
Sanguinisque  pretiosi, 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  93 

Quern  in  mundi  prelium 
Fructus  ventris  generdsi     . 
Rex  effudit  gentium. 

Nobis  datus,  nobis  natus 
Ex  intacta  Virgine, 
Et  in  mundo  conversatus, 
Sparso  verbi  semine, 
Sui  moras  incolatus, 
Miro  clausit  ordine. 

In  supr^mae  nocte  ecenae, 
Recumbens  cum  fratribus, 
Observata  lege  plene 
Cibis  in  legalibus, 
Cibum  turbae  duodenae 
Se  dat  suis  manibus. 

Verbum  cdro  panem  verum 

Verbo  carnem  efficit: 

Fitque  sanguis  Christi  merum: 

Et  si  sensus  deficit, 

Ad  firmandum  cor  sincerum 

Sola  fides  sufficit. 

Tantum  ergo  Saxramentum 

Veneremur  cernui : 

Et  antiquum  documentum 

Novo  cedat  ritui : 

Praestet  fides  supplementum 

Sensuum  defectui. 

Genitdri.  Genitdque 
Laus  et  Jubilatio, 
Salus,  honor,  virtus  quoque 
Sit  et  benedictio : 
Procedenti  ab  utrdque 
Compar  sit  laudatio.     Amen. 
Tune  —  "  Pange  Lingua"  (Ancient  Plain  Song). 


94  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

33— IN  COMMEMORATION  OF  THE  DEAD. 

DE  PROFUNDIS. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Psalm,  used  by  the 
Roman  Catholics  on  going  and  returning  from  funerals, 
is  declared  by  Jeremy  Taylor  to  be  the  Psalm  of  Psalms 
for  the  sick.  It  was  the  last  psalm  of  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots,  and  was  quoted  at  the  last  by  the  judicious  Rich- 
ard Hooker.  It  was  the  peculiar  delight  of  Luther, 
whose  version  Aus  tiefer  noth  schrei  ich  zu  Dir  was  only 
less  popular  than  his  "  Ein'  feste  Burg."  It  was  sung 
at  his  funeral,  and  many  a  time  it  rallied  him  and  his 
followers  in  the  midst  of  despair.  It  was  the  singing 
of  this  psalm  at  St.  Paul's  that  paved  the  way  for  the 
conversion  of  John  Wesley. 

OUT  of  the  depths  have  I  cried  unto  Thee,  O 
Lord. 

Lord,  hear  my  voice;  let  Thine  ears  be  attentive 
to  the  voice  of  my  supplications. 

If  Thou,  Lord,  shouldest  mark  iniquities,  O  Lord, 
who  shall  stand? 

But  there  is  forgiveness  with  Thee,  that  Thou 
mayest  be  feared. 

I  wait  for  the  Lord,  my  soul  doth  wait,  and  in  His 
word  do  I  hope. 

My  soul  waiteth  for  the  Lord  more  than  they 
that  watch  for  the  morning;  I  say  more  than  they 
that  watch  for  the  morning. 

Let  Israel  hope  in  the  Lord;  for  with  the  Lord 
there  is  mercy,  and  with  Him  is  plenteous  redemp- 
tion. 

And  He  shall  redeem  Israel  from  all  His  iniquities. 

DE  profundis  clamavi  ad  te,  Domine:  Domine, 
exaudi  vocem  meam. 
Fiant  aures  tuae  intendentes  in  vocem  depreca- 
tionis  meae. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  95 

Si  iniquitates  observaveris,  Domine :  Domine, 
quis  sustinebit? 

Quia  apud  te  propitiatio  est :  et  propter  legem 
tuam  sustinuite,   Domine. 

Sustinuit  anima  mea  in  verbo  ejus:  speravit 
anima  mea  in  Domino. 

A  custodia  matutina  usque  ad  noctem  :  speret 
Israel  in  Domino. 

Quia  apud  Dominum  misericordia :  et  copiosa 
apud  eum  redemptio. 

Et  ipse  redimet  Israel,  ex  omnibus  iniquitatibus 
ejus. 

V.     Requiem  aeternam  dona  eis  Domine. 

R.     Et  lux  perpetua  luceat  eis. 

V.     Requiescant  in  pace. 

R.     Amen. 

34  — THE  DAY  OF  JUDGMENT. 

DIES  IRAE. 

This  most  famous  and  awful  of  all  the  hymns  of  the 
Church  is  supposed  to  have  been  written  in  the  thirteenth 
century  by  Thomas  of  Celano,  the  friend  and  biographer 
of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi.  Originally  used  as  an  advent 
hymn,  it  is  now  used  as  the  sequence  in  the  mass  for  the 
dead.  Goethe  uses  it  in  "  Faust."  Sir  Walter  Scott,  who 
muttered  it  on  his  death-bed,  translated  part  of  it  in  "  The 
Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel."  There  are  said  to  be  one 
hundred  and  sixty  translations  into  English  and  ninety 
into  German.  Archbishop  Trench  says  :  "  It  holds  a 
foremost  place  among  the  masterpieces  of  sacred  song." 
I  quote  Sir  Walter  Scott's  translation,  of  which  Mr. 
Gladstone  says:  "I  know  nothing  so  sublime  in  any 
portion  of  the  sacred  poetry  of  modern  times." 

THAT  day  of  wrath,  that  dreadful  day, 
When  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away, 
What  power  shall  be  the  sinner's  stay? 
How  shall  he  meet  that  dreadful  day? 


gO  HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

When,  shriveling  like  a  parched  scroll, 
The  flaming  heavens  together  roll; 
When  louder  yet,  and  yet  more  dread, 
Swells  the  high  trump  that  wakes  the  dead  : 

Oh  !  on  that  day,  that  wrathful  day, 
When  man  to  judgment  wakes  from  clay, 
Be  Thou  the  trembling  sinner's  stay, 
Though  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away  ! 

Sir  Walter  did  not  carry  his  translation  further. 

Dr.  Irons'  translation  was  prompted  by  the  effect  pro- 
duced by  the  singing  of  "  Dies  Irae,"  when  the  heart  of 
the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  who  had  been  killed  on  the 
barricades  in  1848,  was  displayed  in  the  choir  of  Notre 
Dame. 

DAY  of  wrath  !  O  day  of  mourning  ! 
See  fulfilled  the  prophet's  warning  ! 
Heaven  and  earth  in  ashes  burning. 

O  what  fear  man's  bosom  rendeth  ! 
When  from  heaven  the  Judge  descendeth, 
On  whose  sentence  all  dependeth  ! 

Wondrous  sound  the  trumpet  flingeth, 
Through  earth's  sepulchres  it  ringeth, 
All  before  the  throne  it  bringeth. 

Death  is  struck,  and  nature  quaking, 

All  creation  is  awaking, 

To  its  Judge  an  answer  making. 

Lo,  the  Book,  exactly  worded, 
Wherein  all  hath  been  recorded  ! 
Thence  shall  judgment  be  awarded. 

When  the  Judge  His  seat  attaineth, 
And  each  hidden  deed  arraigneth, 
Nothing  unavenged  remaineth. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.  gj 

What  shall  I,  frail  man,  be  pleading, 
Who  for  me  be  interceding, 
When  the  just  are  mercy  needing  ? 

King  of  majesty  tremendous, 
Who  dost  free  salvation  send  us, 
Fount  of  pity,  then  befriend  us  ! 

Think,  good  Jesus,  my  salvation 
Caused  Thy  wondrous  incarnation  ; 
Leave  me  not  to  reprobation. 

Faint  and  weary  Thou  hast  sought  me, 
On  the  cross  of  suffering  bought  me  ; 
Shall  such  grace  be  vainly  brought  me? 

Righteous  Judge  !  for  sin's  pollution 
Grant  Thy  gift  of  absolution, 
Ere  that  day  of  retribution. 

Guilty,  now  I  pour  my  moaning, 
All  my  shame  with  anguish  owning  ; 
Spare,  O  God,  Thy  suppliant  groaning  ! 

Thou  the  sinful  woman  savedst ; 
Thou  the  dying  thief  forgavest; 
And  to  me  a  hope  vouchsafest. 

Worthless  are  my  prayers  and  sighing, 
Yet,  good  Lord,  in  grace  complying, 
Rescue  me  from  fires  undying. 

With  Thy  favoured  sheep  O  place  me, 
Nor  among  the  goats  abase  me  ; 
But  to  Thy  right  hand  upraise  me. 

While  the  wicked  are  confounded, 
Doomed  to  flames  of  woe  unbounded, 
Call  me  with  Thy  saints  surrounded. 

7 


98  HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Low  I  kneel,  with  heart  submission: 
See,  like  ashes,  my  contrition  ; 
Help  me  in  my  last  condition. 

Ah,  that  day  of  tears  and  mourning ! 
From  the  dust  of  earth  returning, 
Man  for  judgment  must  prepare  him; 

Spare,  O  God,  in  mercy  spare  him  ! 
Lord  all-pitying,  Jesus  blest, 
Grant  them  Thine  eternal  rest ! 

DIES  irae,  dies  ilia 
Solvet  saeclum  in  favilla  ; 
Teste  David  cum  Sybilla. 

Quantus  tremor  est  futurus 
Quando  Judex  est  venturus, 
Cuncta  stricte  discussurus  ! 

Tuba  mirum  spargens  sonum 
Per  sepulchra  regionum, 
Coget  omnes  ante  thronum. 

Mors  stupebit  et  natura, 
Cum  resurget  creatura, 
Judicanti  responsura. 

Liber  scriptus  proferetur, 
In  quo  totum  continetur, 
Unde  mundus  judicetur. 

Judex  ergo  cum  sedebit, 
Quidquid  latet,  apparebit : 
Nil  inultum  remanebit. 

Quid  sum  miser  tunc  dicturus  ? 
Quern  patronum  rogaturus  ? 
Cum  vix  Justus  sit  securus. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    99 

Rex  tremendae  majestatis, 
Qui  salvandos  salvas  gratis. 
Salve  me,  fons  pietatis. 

Recordare,  Jesu  pie, 
Quod  sum  causa  tuae  viae  ; 
Ne  me  perdas  ilia  die. 

Quaerens  me  sedisti  lassus, 
Redemisti  crucem  passus; 
Tantus  labor  non  sit  cassus. 

Juste  Judex  ultionis, 
Donum  fac  remissionis 
Ante  diem  rationis. 

Ingemisco  tanquam  reus, 
Culpa  rubet  vultus  meus, 
Supplicanti  parce  Deus. 

Qui  Mariam  absolvisti, 
Et  latronem  exaudisti, 
Mihi  quoque  spem  dedisti. 

Preces  meae  non  sunt  dignae, 
Sed  tu  bonus  fac  benigne, 
Ne  perenni  cremer  igne. 

Inter  oves  locum  prassta, 
Et  ab  hcedis  me  sequestra. 
Statuens  in  parte  dextra. 

Confutatis  maledictis, 
Flammis  acribus  addictis, 
Voca  me  cum  benedictis. 

Oro  supplex  et  acclinis, 
Cor  contritum  quasi  cinis  : 
Gere  curam  mei  finis. 


100        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Lacrymosa  dies  ilia, 
Qua  resurget  ex  favilla. 
Judicandus  homo  reus, 
Huic  ergo  parce  Deus. 

Pie  Jesu  Domine, 
Dona  eis  requiem. 

Tune  —  Dr.  Dykes's  "  Dies  Ir,e." 

35  — LO!    HE  COMES. 

The  English  hymn  that  supplies  in  the  Protestant 
world  the  place  of  the  "  Dies  Irae,"  is  the  composite 
hymn  written  by  Cennick  and  C.  Wesley. 

LO  !  He  comes  with  clouds  descending, 
Once  for  favoured  sinners  slain; 
Thousand  thousand  saints  attending 
Swell  the  triumph  of  His  train : 

Hallelujah! 
Jesus  comes,  and  comes  to  reign. 

Every  eye  shall  then  behold  Him, 

Robed  in  dreadful  majesty; 
Those  who  set  at  nought  and  sold  Him, 

Pierced  and  nailed  Him  to  the  tree, 
Deeply  wailing, 

Shall  the  true  Messiah  see. 

Every  island,  sea,  and  mountain, 
Heaven  and  earth  shall  flee  away : 

All  who  hate  Him  must,  confounded, 
Hear  the  summons  of  that  day  :  — ■ 

Come  to  judgment, 
Come  to  judgment,  come  away  ! 

Now  redemption,  long  expected, 
See,  in  solemn  pomp,  appear ; 
All  His  saints,  by  man  rejected, 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 01 

Now  shall  meet  Him  in  the  air : 

Hallelujah  ! 
See  the  day  of  God  appear.  , 

Yea,  Amen  ;  let  all  adore  Thee, 

High  on  Thine  eternal  throne  : 
Saviour,  take  the  power  and  glory, 

Make  Thy  righteous  sentence  known. 
O  come  quickly, 

Claim  the  kingdom  for  Thine  own. 

Tune  —  "  Helmsley,"  or  "St.  Thomas." 

There  are  many  forms  of  this  hymn,  but  the  above  is 
as  popular  as  any  other. 


V*  —  Litanies* 

36— WHEN  OUR  HEADS  ARE  BOWED 
WITH  WOE. 

Dean  Milman's  poem,  on  Christ's  sympathy  for  hu- 
man sorrows,  was  written  for  the  sixteenth  Sunday  after 
Trinity.  It  is  based  upon  the  narrative  (in  the  Gospel 
for  that  day)  of  Christ's  miracle  at  Nain.  As  a  Litany, 
in  Lent,  and  at  burials,  the  hymn  is  largely  used.  The 
refrain  was  originally  written,  "  Gracious  Son  of  Mary, 
hear  1 " 

WHEN  our  heads  are  bowed  with  woe, 
When  our  bitter  tears  o'erflow, 
When  we  mourn  the  lost,  the  dear, 
Jesu,  Son  of  Mary,  hear! 

Thou  our  throbbing  flesh  hast  worn, 
Thou  our  mortal  griefs  hast  borne, 
Thou  hast  shed  the  human  tear ; 
Jesu,  Son  of  Mary,  hear ! 


.L 


102        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

When  the  solemn  death-bell  tolls 
For  our  own  departing  souls, 
When  our  final  doom  is  near, 
Jesu,  Son  of  Mary,  hear  ! 

Thou  hast  bowed  the  dying  head, 
Thou  the  blood  of  life  hast  shed, 
Thou  hast  filled  a  mortal  bier  ; 
Jesu,  Son  of  Mary,  hear  ! 

When  the  heart  is  sad  within 
With  the  thought  of  all  its  sin  ; 
When  the  spirit  shrinks  with  fear ; 
Jesu,  Son  of  Mary,  hear  ! 

Thou  the  shame,  the  grief,  hast  known  — 
Though  the  sins  were  not  Thine  own, 
Thou  hast  deigned  their  load  to  bear; 
Jesu,  Son  of  Mary,  hear! 

Tune — "Redhead,  No.  47." 

37  — SAVIOUR,  WHEN  IN  DUST  TO  THEE. 

This  hymn,  written  by  Sir  Robert  Grant,  at  one  time 
Governor  of  Bombay  under  the  East  India  Company, 
has  received  the  hall-mark  of  helpful  usefulness  in  all 
parts  of  the  English-speaking  world. 

SAVIOUR,  when  in  dust  to  Thee 
Low  we  bow  the  adoring  knee  ; 
When,  repentant,  to  the  skies 
Scarce  we  lift  our  weeping  eyes; 
O  !  by  all  Thy  pains  and  woe, 
Suffered  once  for  man  below, 
Bending  from  Thy  throne  on  high, 
Hear  our  solemn  litany. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


103 


By  Thy  helpless  infant  years, 
By  Thy  life  of  want  and  tears, 
By  Thy  days  of  sore  distress 
In  the  savage  wilderness, 
By  the  dread  mysterious  hour 
Of  the  insulting  tempter's  power; 
Turn,  O  turn  a  favouring  eye, 
Hear  our  solemn  litany. 

By  the  sacred  grief  that  wept 
O'er  the  grave  where  Lazarus  slept ; 
By  the  boding  tears  that  flowed 
Over  Salem's  loved  abode  ; 
By  the  anguished  sigh  that  told 
Treachery  lurked  within  Thy  fold ; 
From  Thy  seat  above  the  sky, 
Hear  our  solemn  litany. 

By  Thine  hour  of  dire  despair, 
By  Thine  agony  of  prayer; 
By  the  cross,  the  nail,  the  thorn, 
Piercing  spear  and  torturing  scorn  ; 
By  the  gloom  that  veiled  the  skies 
O'er  the  dreadful  sacrifice, 
Listen  to  our  humble  cry, 
Hear  our  solemn  litany. 

By  Thy  deep  expiring  groan  ; 
By  the  sad  sepulchral  stone ; 
By  the  vault  whose  dark  abode 
Held  in  vain  the  rising  God  ; 
O  !  from  earth  to  heaven  restored, 
Mighty  re-ascended  Lord, 
Listen,  listen  to  the  cry 
Of  our  solemn  litany. 

Tune  —  "Miserere"  or  "  Tichfield." 


104        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


38  — WHEN  THE  WEARY,  SEEKING  REST. 

This  Litany,  by  Horatius  Bonar,  is  modelled  upon  the 
prayer  of  Solomon  at  the  dedication  of  the  Temple. 

WHEN  the  weary,  seeking  rest, 
To  thy  goodness  flee  ; 
When  the  heavy-laden  cast 

All  their  load  on  thee; 
When  the  troubled,  seeking  peace, 

On  thy  Name  shall  call ; 
When  the  sinner,  seeking  life, 
At  thy  feet  shall  fall: 
Hear  then  in  love,  O  Lord,  the  cry, 
In  heaven  thy  dwelling-place  on  high. 

When  the  worldling,  sick  at  heart, 

Lifts  his  soul  above  ; 
When  the  prodigal  looks  back 

To  his  Father's  love  : 
When  the  proud  man,  in  his  pride, 

Stoops  to  seek  thy  face  ; 
When  the  burdened  brings  his  guilt 

To  thy  throne  of  grace  ; 
Hear  then  in  love,  O  Lord,  the  cry, 
In  heaven  thy  dwelling-place  on  high. 

When  the  stranger  asks  a  home, 

All  his  toils  to  end  ; 
When  the  hungry  craveth  food, 

And  the  poor  a  friend; 
When  the  sailor  on  the  wave 

Bows  the  fervent  knee; 
When  the  soldier  on  the  field 

Lifts  his  heart  to  thee  : 
Hear  then  in  love,  O  Lord,  the  cry, 
In  heaven  thy  dwelling-place  on  high. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    105 

When  the  man  of  toil  and  care 

In  the  city  crowd  ; 
When  the  shepherd  on  the  moor 

Names  the  name  of  God  ; 
When  the  learned  and  the  high, 

Tired  of  earthly  fame, 
Upon  higher  joys  intent, 

Name  the  blessed  Name  : 
Hear  then  in  love,  O  Lord,  the  cry, 
In  heaven  thy  dwelling-place  on  high. 

When  the  child,  with  grave  fresh  lip, 

Youth  or  maiden  fair ; 
When  the  aged,  weak  and  grey, 

Seek  thy  face  in  prayer ; 
When  the  widow  weeps  to  thee, 

Sad  and  lone  and  low; 
When  the  orphan  brings  to  thee 
All  his  orphan  woe  : 
Hear  then  in  love,  O  Lord,  the  cry, 
In  heaven  thy  dwelling-place  on  high.     • 

Tune  —  "  Intercession." 

Bishop  Fraser  of  Manchester  used  to  say  that  he 
regarded  this  as  the  finest  hymn  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. His  second  favourite  was  "  I  heard  the  voice  of 
Jesus  say." 

VI.  —  Guidance. 

39— LEAD,  KINDLY  LIGHT. 

Of  all  the  modern  hymns  praying  for  guidance,  New- 
man's famous  three  verses  seem  to  be  most  popular,  — 
especially  with  people  who  have  not  accepted  the  lead- 
ing of  any  church  or  theological  authority.  "The  only 
hymn  of  which  words  and  music  touched  any  chord  in 
me,"  wrote  the  Hon.  Reginald  Brett,  "  is  Cardinal  New- 


IOO        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

man's  '  Lead,  Kindly  Light.'  My  opinion  is  that  the 
music  and  the  congregational  singing  are  the  causes  of 
emotion,  not  the  words  of  any  hymn."  Cardinal  New- 
man seems  to  have  been  very  much  of  the  same  opinion. 
He  once  remarked  that  he  was  deeply  thankful  for  the 
hold  his  hymn  had  obtained  on  the  public  ;  but,  he 
added,  "it  is  not  the  hymn  but  the  tune  that  has  gained 
the  popularity."  This  is  undoubtedly  true  in  certain 
quarters.  In  the  seance  rooms  of  Chicago  it  was  con- 
stantly sung  while  the  medium  was  waiting  for  mate- 
rialization or  other  manifestations,  chiefly  on  account  of 
the  tune  and  the  reference  in  the  last  verse  to  "  angel 
faces."  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  hymn  has  the  first 
place  in  the  favour  of  such  fervent  Catholics  as  the 
Marquis  of  Ripon  and  Mr.  Justin  McCarthy,  and  such 
stout  Protestants  as  Sir  Evelyn  Wood  and  a  leading 
member  of  Lord  Rosebery's  Cabinet.  Mrs.  Lynn 
Linton  (who  may  be  said  to  represent  the  Agnostics) 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Hardy  include  it  among  their  three 
first  favourites.  The  hymn  was  not  at  first  included  in 
some  Nonconformist  hymnals.  '  Mr.  Richard  Le  Gal- 
lienne,  the  poet,  for  instance,  writes  :  "  I  was  brought 
up  among  the  Baptists,  who,  if  I  remember  aright,  did 
not  in  my  time  sing,  '  Lead,  Kindly  Light,'  which  I 
learned  to  love  in  a  late  period  of  church-going.  That 
seems  to  me,"  he  adds,  "  if  one  had  to  choose,  the  finest 
of  all  hymns,  as  it  contains  piety  and  poetry  in  the  high- 
est proportion."  The  Rev.  Dr.  Rigg,  who  may  be 
regarded  as  the  best  representative  of  the  old  school  of 
Wesleyans,  writes  as  follows  about  the  hymn :  — 

"  '  Lead,  Kindly  Light,'  is  a  great  favourite  with  very 
many,  being  a  hymn  that  touches  the  heart  and  ex- 
presses, more  or  less,  the  experience  of  many  souls. 
Certainly  it  is  one  which  might  often  have  expressed, 
more  or  less  distinctly,  my  own  experience  ;  but  I  have 
not  found  it  a  helpful  hymn  for  deliverance,  or  a 
strengthening  hymn  in  distress  and  conflict.  It  con- 
duces to  resignation,  it  may  be,  but  scarcely  leads  on  to 
victory.     It  is  not  in  our  Methodist  collection,  and  I 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


107 


could  not  say  that  it  has  been  a  helpful  hymn  to  me 
spiritually,  though  it  is  a  touching  poem,  and  in  various 
ways  prophetic  of  the  experience  of  its  writer." 

No  doubt  it  is  somewhat  hard  for  the  staunch  Pro- 
testant to  wax  enthusiastic  over  the  invocation  of  a 
"  Kindly  Light "  which  led  its  author  straight  into  the 
arms  of  the  Scarlet  Woman  of  the  Seven  Hills.  Against 
this  may  be  put  the  fact  that  when  the  Parliament  of 
Religions  met  at  Chicago,  the  representatives  of  every 
creed  known  to  man  found  two  things  on  which  they 
were  agreed.  They  could  all  join  in  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
and  they  could  all  sing,  "  Lead,  Kindly  Light."  This 
hymn,  Mrs.  Drew  tells  me,  and  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  are 
two  of  Mr.  Gladstone's  "  most  favourite  hymns." 

LEAD,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom  ; 
Lead  thou  me  on  : 
The  night  is  dark,  and  I  am  far  from  home ; 

Lead  thou  me  on. 
Keep  thou  my  feet;  I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene  ;  one  step  enough  for  me. 

I  was  not  ever  thus,  nor  prayed  that  thou 

Should'st  lead  me  on  : 
I  loved  to  choose  and  see  my  path ;  but  now, 

Lead  thou  me  on. 
I  loved  the  garish  day,  and,  spite  of  fears, 
Pride  ruled  my  will ;  remember  not  past  years. 

So  long  thy  power  hath  blest  me,  sure  it  still 

Will  lead  me  on, 
O'er  moor  and  fen,  o'er  crag  and  torrent,  till 

The  night  is  gone, 
And  with  the  morn  those  angel  faces  smile, 
Which  I  have  loved  long  since,  and  lost  awhile. 

Tune  —  "  Lux  Benigna." 

"  It  seems  to  me  rather  singular,"  writes  a  correspond- 
ent in  Wales,  "  that  verses  so  full  of  faith  as  '  Lead, 


108        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Kindly  Light,'  should  be  mentioned  with  such  approval 
by  so  many  sceptics."  He  then  sends  me  the  following 
attempt  to  express  the  views  of  an  Agnostic,  thoughtful, 
humble,  and  reverent,  but  quite  unable  to  attain  to 
Newman's  standpoint. 

The  way  is  dark  :  I  cry  amid  the  gloom 

For  guiding  light ; 
A  wanderer,  none  knows  whence  or  what  his  doom, 

I  brave  the  night. 
Fair  scenes  afar,  as  in  a  dream,  I  see, 
Then  seem  to  wake,  and  faith  deserteth  me. 

In  wondering  awe  I  bend  the  knee  before 

The  viewless  Might ; 
And  all  my  heart  in  mute  appeal  I  pour, 

While  straining  sight 
Peers  o'er  the  waste,  yet  Him  I  cannot  find 
Whom  seeks  my  soul :  I  grope  as  grope  the  blind. 

But  'mid  confusing  phantom-lights  I  strive 

To  go  aright : 
A  still  small  voice  leads  on,  and  love  doth  give 

An  inward  might ; 
And  spite  of  sense,  their  lives  a  silent  trust 
That  day  will  dawn,  that  man  is  more  than  dust. 

R.  M.  L. 

Another  correspondent  remarks  :  "  To  my  mind 
there  is  only  a  spirit  of  sadness,  the  blind  groping  in  the 
dark  in  loneliness  and  helplessness.  Surely,  this  is  not 
the  highest  hope  of  a  follower  of  Christ." 

On  the  other  hand,  a  Scotchman  writes  as  follows  :  — 
"  My  spiritual  experience  has  been  varied.  I  was  bap- 
tised in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  brought  up  in 
the  Congregational  Independent,  and  at  length  I  was 
fascinated  by  the  history,  energy,  and  enthusiasm  of  the 
Wesleyans.     I  was  at  one  time  a  local  preacher  in  that 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        109 

body  with  a  view  to  the  ministry.  But  my  fervid  fit  of 
exaltation  was  choked  with  the  dusty  facts  of  life,  and 
smouldered  down  into  a  dry  indifference.  I  sought 
nourishment  in  secularism  and  agnosticism,  but  found 
vnone.  I  was  in  the  slough  of  despond,  at  the  centre  of 
indifference,  with  the  everlasting  '  no '  on  my  lips,  when 
1  Lead,  kindly  light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom  '  came  to 
my  troubled  soul  like  the  voice  of  angels.  Wandering 
in  the  wilderness,  '  o'er  moor  and  fen,  o'er  crag  and  tor- 
rent,'Newman's  Hymn  was  to  me  a  green  oasis,  a  heal- 
ing spring,  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock.  Through  the 
light  and  power  of  God  I  was  led  to  light  and  love  in 
Christ  in  a  way  I  had  never  before  known  or  experi- 
enced." 

A  "  Friend  "  writes :  "  If  thou  art  sending  to  Mr. 
Stead  with  regard  to  hymns,  I  should  put  for  myself 
rather  high  'Lead,  Kindly  Light,'  not  only  because  of  its 
beautiful  words,  but  also  because  of  him  who  felt  them 
and  wrote  them.  It  is  such  an  instruction  that  so  great 
an  intellect  found  Avithout  Christ  nothing  but  an  '  en- 
circling gloom'  —  that  so  powerful  a  nature,  a  leader 
among  men,  wished  to  be  '  humble  as  a  child  and  guided 
where  to  go.'  " 

40  —  GUIDE  ME,  O  THOU  GREAT 
JEHOVAH. 

For  those  who  have  been  brought  up  on  the  Bible  and 
who  have  never  suffered  the  bewilderment  of  the  Agnos- 
tic, this  famous  Welsh  hymn  in  its  English  dress  is 
worth  a  hundred  "  Lead,  Kindly  Lights."  It  was  writ- 
ten at  the  close  of  last  century  by  William  Williams,  a 
popular  Calvinistic-Methodist  evangelist  and  hymn- 
writer.  It  was  Richard  Knill  the  missionary's  favour- 
ite hymn,  and  was  constantly  on  his  lips  when  dying. 
The  last  verse  has  been  the  comfort  of  many  a  dying 
Christian,  and  it  has  been  sung  and  is  still  being  sung 
around  death-beds,  to  the  accompaniment  of  heart- 
choking  sobs  and  streaming  tears.  Here  is  a  hymn 
that  has  helped  indeed. 


110        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

C^  UIDE  me,  O  Thou  Great  Jehovah  ! 
J     Pilgrim  through  this  barren  land  : 
I  am  weak,  but  Thou  art  mighty, 
Hold  me  with  Thy  powerful  hand. 

Bread  of  heaven  ! 
Feed  me  till  I  want  no  more. 

Open  Thou  the  crystal  fountain, 

Whence  the  healing  streams  do  flow  : 

Let  the  fiery,  cloudy  pillar 

Lead  me  all  my  journey  through : 
Strong  Deliverer ! 

Be  Thou  still  my  strength  and  shield. 

When  I  tread  the  verge  of  Jordan, 

Bid  my  anxious  fears  subside  : 
Death  of  death,  and  hell's  Destruction ! 
Land  me  safe  on  Canaan's  side ; 
Songs  of  praises 
I  will  ever  give  to  Thee. 

Tune  —  "  Dismissal. 


4  J  — THE  LORD  'S  MY  SHEPHERD. 

[f  "  Lead,  Kindly  Light,"  is  English,  and  "  Guide  me,  O 
Thou  Great  Jehovah,"  is  Welsh,  "  The  Lord  's  my  Shep- 
herd "  is  Scotch. 

THE  Lord  's  my  shepherd,  I  '11  not  want. 
He  makes  me  down  to  lie 
In  pastures  green :  he  leadeth  me 
the  quiet  waters  by. 

My  soul  he  doth  restore  again  ; 

and  me  to  walk  doth  make 
Within  the  paths  of  righteousness, 

ev'n  for  his  own  name's  sake. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        Ill 

Yea,  though  I  walk  in  death's  dark  vale, 

yet  will  I  fear  none  ill : 
For  thou  art  with  me ;  and  thy  rod 

and  staff  me  comfort  still. 

My  table  thou  hast  furnished 

in  presence  of  my  foes  ; 
My  head  thou  dost  with  oil  anoint, 

and  my  cup  overflows. 

Goodness  and  mercy  all  my  life 

shall  surely  follow  me: 
And  in  God's  house  for  evermore 

my  dwelling-place  shall  be. 

Tune —  "  Kilmarnock." 

"  For  me,"  writes  Mr.  S.  R.  Crockett,  the  popular 
author  of  the  "  Raiders  "  and  many  another  delightful 
romance,  "  there  is  no  hymn  like  '  The  Lord 's  my 
Shepherd,  I  '11  not  want.'  I  think  I  must  have  stood 
by  quite  a  hundred  men  and  women  as  they  lay  a-dying, 
and  I  can  assure  you  that  these  words  —  the  first 
learned  by  the  child  —  were  also  the  words  that  ushered 
most  of  them  out  into  the  Quiet.  To  me,  and  to  most 
among  these  Northern  hills,  there  are  no  words  like 
them." 

Dr.  John  Ker  says  :  "  Every  line  of  it,  every  word  of 
it,  has  been  engraven  for  generations  on  Scottish 
hearts,  has  accompanied  them  from  childhood  to  age, 
from  their  homes  to  all  the  seas  and  lands  where  they 
have  wandered,  and  has  been  to  a  multitude  no  man 
can  number  the  rod  and  staff  of  which  it  speaks,  to 
guide  and  guard  them  in  dark  valleys,  and  at  last 
through  the  darkest."  Of  its  helpfulness  in  times  of 
crisis  many  instances  are  given,  of  which  that  which 
appeals  most  to  me  is  the  story  of  Marian  Harvey,  the 
servant  lass  of  twenty,  who  was  executed  at  Edinburgh 
with  Isabel  Alison  for  having  attended  the  preaching  of 
Donald   Cargill,  and  for  helping  his  escape.     As  the 


112        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

brave  lasses  were  being  led  to  the  scaffold,  a  curate 
pestered  them  with  his  prayers.  "  Come,  Isabel,"  said 
Marian,  "  let  us  sing  the  Twenty-third  Psalm."  And  sing 
it  they  did,  a  thrilling  duet  on  their  pilgrimage  to  the 
gallows-tree.  It  was  rough  on  the  Covenanters  in 
those  days,  and  their  paths  did  not  exactly,  to  outward 
seeming,  lead  them  by  the  green  pastures  and  still 
waters.  But  they  got  there  somehow,  the  Twenty-third 
Psalm  helping  them  no  little.  This  was  the  psalm 
John  Ruskin  first  learnt  at  his  mother's  knee.  It  was 
this  which  Edward  Irving  recited  at  the  last  as  he  lay 
dying.  Even  poor  Heinrich  Heine,  on  his  mattress- 
grave,  in  one  of  his  latest  poems,  recalls  the  image  of 
the  Shepherd  Guide  whose  "  Pastures  green  and  sweet 
refresh  the  wanderer's  weary  feet."  The  magnificent 
assurance  of  the  fourth  verse  has  in  every  age  given 
pluck  to  the  heart  of  the  timid  and  strengthened  the 
nerve  of  heroes.  When  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  went 
alone,  bareheaded  and  barefoot,  to  convert  the  Sultan, 
he  kept  up  his  spirit  on  his  solitary  pilgrimage  by 
chanting  this  verse.  The  Moslems  did  him  no  harm, 
and  instead  of  taking  off  his  head,  returned  him  safe 
and  sound  to  the  pale  of  Christendom. 

The  Rev.  D.  P.  Alford  writes  me  :  "  When  I  was 
chaplain  of  the  Scilly  Islands,  one  of  my  leading  parish- 
ioners, a  Scotchman,  when  dying,  found  the  greatest 
consolation  in  the  metrical  version  of  this  psalm.  His 
wife  said  to  me :  'It  is  no  wonder  that  psalm  comforts 
him,  for  he  has  said  it  every  night  before  going  to  bed 
ever  since  I  have  known  him.'  They  were  elderly  peo- 
ple, and  had  been  married  many  years." 

In  the  United  States  the  paraphrase  beginning  "The 
King  of  Love  my  Shepherd  is,"  is  the  one  commonly 
used. 

42— JESUS,  STILL  LEAD  ON. 

After  the  English,  Welsh,  and  Scottish  comes  in  due 
sequence  the  German  lyrical  cry  for  guidance,  Zinzen- 
dorf's  Hymn,  which  is  said  to  be  the  first  taught  to  the 


J 


HYMNS   THAT  HAVE   HELPED.        113 

children  in  every  German  household.     In  German  it 
begins,  — 

Jesu,  geh  voran 

Auf  der  Lebensbahn. 

The  English  version  is  as  follows  :  — 

ESUS,  still  lead  on 
Till  our  rest  be  won  : 
And  although  the  way  be  cheerless, 
We  will  follow,  calm  and  fearless  : 
Guide  us  by  Thy  hand 
To  our  Fatherland. 

If  the  way  be  drear, 

If  the  foe  be  near, 
Let  not  faithless  fears  o'ertake  us, 
Let  not  faith  and  hope  forsake  us  ; 

For,  through  many  a  foe, 

To  our  home  we  go. 

When  we  seek  relief 

From  a  long-felt  grief: 
When  oppressed  by  new  temptations, 
Lord,  increase  and  perfect  patience; 

Show  us  that  bright  shore 

Where  we  weep  no  more. 

Jesus,  still  lead  on 

Till  our  rest  be  won  : 
Heavenly  Leader,  still  direct  us, 
Still  support,  console,  protect  us, 

Till  we  safely  stand 

In  our  Fatherland. 

Tu ne  —  "  Weston. " 

43  — HE  LEADETH  ME. 

This  hymn  with  its  chorus  came  to  us  from  across  the 
Atlantic  with  Mr.  Sankey.     It  was  written  by  Joseph  H. 

8 


114        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

Gilmore,  in  1859,  at  the  close  of  a  lecture  in  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  Philadelphia.  It  has  helped  me  many 
a  time  and  oft,  and  I  expect  that  it  will  help  me  now 
and  always  to  the  end. 

HE  leadeth  me  !  Oh,  blessed  thought  ! 
Oh  words  with  heavenly  comfort  fraught  ! 
VVhate'er  I  do,  where'er  I  be, 
Still  'tis  God's  hand  that  leadeth  me. 
He  leadeth  me  !  He  leadeth  me  ! 
By  His  own  hand  He  leadeth  me; 
His  faithful  follower  I  would  be, 
For  by  His  hand  He  leadeth  me. 

Sometimes  'mid  scenes  of  deepest  gloom, 
Sometimes  where  Eden's  bowers  bloom, 
By  waters  calm,  o'er  troubled  sea, 
Still  't  is  God's  hand  that  leadeth  me. 

Lord,  I  would  clasp  Thy  hand  in  mine; 
Nor  ever  murmur  nor  repine ; 
Content,  whatever  lot  I  see, 
Since  't  is  my  God  that  leadeth  me. 

And  when  my  task  on  earth  is  done, 
When,  by  Thy  grace,  the  victory  's  won, 
E'en  death's  cold  wave  I  will  not  flee, 
Since  Thou  through  Jordan  leadest  me. 

Tune  —  From  Sankey's  "Songs  and  Solos." 

44  —  I  DO  NOT  ASK,  O  LORD. 

Among  the  most  helpful  hymns  of  modern  times  is 
Adelaide  Procter's  Prayer  for  Guidance.  Like  the 
author  of  "  Lead,  Kindly  Light,"  Miss  Procter  died  in 
the  Roman  Communion. 


I 


DO  not  ask,  O  Lord,  that  life  rpay  be 
A  pleasant  road; 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        I  I  5 

I  do  not  ask  that  Thou  wouldst  take  from  me 
Aught  of  its  load. 

I  do  not  ask  that  flowers  should  always  spring 

Beneath  my  feet; 
I  know  too  well  the  poison  and  the  sting 

Of  things  too  sweet. 

For  one  thing  only,  Lord,  dear  Lord,  I  plead: 

Lead  me  aright, 
Though   strength   should  falter  and  though  heart 
should  bleed, 

Through  peace  to  light. 

I  do  not  ask,  O  Lord,  that  Thou  shouldst  shed 

Full  radiance  here ; 
Give  but  a  ray  of  peace,  that  I  may  tread 

Without  a  fear. 

I  do  not  ask  my  cross  to  understand, 

My  way  to  see  ; 
Better  in  darkness  just  to  feel  Thy  hand, 

And  follow  Thee. 

Joy  is  like  restless  day  ;  but  peace  divine 

Like  quiet  night. 
Lead  me,  O  Lord,  till  perfect  day  shall  shine, 

Through  peace  to  light. 

Tune  —  Barnby's  "Ad  Lucem." 

45  — GOD  MOVES  IN  A  MYSTERIOUS  WAY. 

Cowper's  hymn  has  helped  multitudes  to  bear  up 
under  the  blows  of  apparently  adverse  fortune.  Within 
a  year  of  the  writing  of  this  beautiful  and  touching 
hymn,  Cowper's  reason  reeled,  and  he  endeavoured  to 
commit  suicide  by  drowning  in  the  Ouse.  It  is  some 
poor  consolation  to  know  that  his  attempt  at  suicide 
was  not  a  suicide  of  despair,  but  rather  the  perversion 


Il6        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

of  the  spirit  of  resignation  and  joyful  submission  which 
finds  expression  in  the  hymn.  Newton  says  that  Cow- 
per  tried  to  take  his  life,  believing  it  was  a  sacrifice 
which  God  required  at  his  hands.  The  accepted  legend 
is  that  he  had  proposed  to  commit  suicide  at  a  certain 
place,  but  as  the  driver  of  the  postchaise  could  not  find 
it,  he  returned  home  without  putting  his  purpose  into 
execution,  and  there  composed  this  hymn. 

GOD  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform  : 
He  plants  His  footsteps  in  the  sea, 
And  rides  upon  the  storm. 

Deep  in  unfathomable  mines 

Of  never-failing  skill, 
He  treasures  up  His  bright  designs, 

And  works  His  sovereign  will. 

Ye  fearful  saints,  fresh  courage  take  : 
The  clouds  ye  so  much  dread 

Are  big  with  mercy,  and  shall  break 
In  blessings  on  your  head. 

Judge  not  the  Lord  by  feeble  sense, 
But  trust  Him  for  His  grace : 

Behind  a  frowning  providence 
He  hides  a  smiling  face. 

His  purposes  will  ripen  fast, 

Unfolding  every  hour : 
The  bud  may  have  a  bitter  taste, 

But  sweet  will  be  the  flower. 

Blind  unbelief  is  sure  to  err, 

And  scan  His  work  in  vain : 
God  is  His  own  Interpreter, 
And  He  will  make  it  plain. 
Tune  —  "St.  Leonard's"  or  "London  New." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.       117 

The  third  verse  has  been  much  used  in  times  of 
danger  and  distress.  It  was  often  sung  during  the 
cotton  famine,  and  there  are  few  persons  who  cannot 
recall  times  and  seasons  when  its  comforting  assurances 
helped  to  give  fortitude  and  tranquillity  to  the  soul. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  hymn  which  more  exactly 
corresponds  to  Lord  Wolseley's  ideal  of  a  hymn, 
"  plenty  of  consolation  and  not  too  much  theology." 

46— WHEN  GATHERING  CLOUDS  AROUND 

I  VIEW. 

This  is  another  of  the  hymns  by  Sir  R.  Grant,  at  one 
time  Governor  of  Bombay. 

WHEN  gathering  clouds  around  I  view, 
And  days  are  dark  and  friends  are  few, 
On  Him  I  lean,  who  not  in  vain 
Experienced  every  human  pain. 
He  sees  my  wants,  allays  my  fears, 
And  counts  and  treasures  up  my  tears. 

If  aught  should  tempt  my  soul  to  stray 
From  heavenly  wisdom's  narrow  way, 
To  flee  the  good  I  would  pursue, 
Or  do  the  sin  I  would  not  do; 
Still  He,  who  felt  temptation's  power, 
Shall  guard  me  in  that  dangerous  hour. 

If  wounded  love  my  bosom  swell, 
Deceived  by  those  I  prized  too  well, 
He  shall  His  pitying  aid  bestow, 
Who  felt  on  earth  severer  woe, 
At  once  betrayed,  denied,  or  fled, 
By  those  who  shared  His  daily  bread. 

If  vexing  thoughts  within  me  rise, 
And,  sore  dismayed,  my  spirit  dies  : 
Yet  He,  who  once  vouchsafed  to  bear 


Il8        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

The  sickening  anguish  of  despair, 
Shall  sweetly  soothe,  shall  gently  dry 
The  throbbing  heart,  the  streaming  eye. 

When  sorrowing  o'er  some  stone  I  bend, 
Which  covers  what  was  once  a  friend  ; 
And  from  his  hand,  his  voice,  his  smile, 
Divides  me  for  a  little  while, 
My  Saviour  marks  the  tears  I  shed  : 
For  Jesus  wept  o'er  Lazarus  dead. 

And  O  !  when  I  have  safely  passed 
Through  every  conflict  but  the  last : 
Still,  still  unchanging,  watch  beside 
My  dying  bed  —  for  Thou  hast  died  : 
Then  point  to  realms  of  cloudless  day, 
And  wipe  the  latest  tear  away. 

Tune  —  "  Stella." 

This  was  one  of  the  favourites  of  John  Gough,  the 
great  temperance  lecturer. 

When  the  late  Sir  Edward  Baines,  founder  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Leeds  Mercury,  and  veteran  reformer, 
lay  dying,  he  asked  his  family  to  sing  this  hymn,  after 
which  he  said  with  great  thankfulness  :  "  I  feel  inex- 
pressibly full  of  His  presence  and  glory." 

47  — THE  LORD  WILL  PROVIDE. 

For  simplicity  and  unwavering  confidence,  there  are 
few  hymns  of  guidance  to  compare  with  this  little  song 
and  chorus  from  Mr.  Sankey's  collection.     . 

IN  some  way  or  other  the  Lord  will  provide ; 
It  may  not  be  my  way,  it  may  not  be  thy  way; 
And  yet  in  His  own  way,  "the  Lord  will  provide." 
Then   we  '11  trust   in  the   Lord,   and   He  will 

provide; 
Yes,  we  '11   trust   in   the    Lord,  and   He   will 
provide. 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED.        I  19 

At  some  time  or  other  the  Lord  will  provide  : 
It  may  not  be  my  time,  it  may  not  be  thy  time ; 
And  yet  in  His  own  time,  "the  Lord  will  provide." 

Despond  then  no  longer  ;  the  Lord  will  provide  : 
And  this  be  the  token  —  no  word  He  hath  spoken 
Was  ever  yet  broken  :  "  the  Lord  will  provide." 

March  on  then  right  boldly  :  the  sea  shall  divide; 
The  pathway  made  glorious,  with  shoutings  vic- 
torious, 
We  '11  join  in  the  chorus,  "  The  Lord  will  provide." 
Tune  —  From  "Songs  and  Solos." 


48— BEGONE,  UNBELIEF, 

This  hymn,  by  John  Newton,  has  been  a  wonderful 
stand-by  to  multitudes.  Newton,  before  he  became  a 
hymn-writer,  had  gone  the  pace  indeed  in  his  youth, 
but  had  experienced  one  of  those  marvellous  conver- 
sions which  are  the  moral  miracles  of  life.  He  came 
through  much  tribulation  into  a  state  in  which  he  could 
write  :  "  I  commit  my  soul  to  my  gracious  God  and 
Saviour,  who  mercifully  spared  me  when  I  was  an 
apostate,  a  blasphemer,  and  an  infidel,  and  delivered 
me  from  that  state  of  misery  on  the  coast  of  Africa  into 
which  my  obstinate  wickedness  had  plunged  me,  and 
who  has  pleased  to  admit  me  (though  most  unworthy) 
to  preach  His  glorious  gospel." 

BEGONE,  unbelief, 
My  Saviour  is  near, 
And  for  my  relief 

Will  surely  appear ; 
By  prayer  let  me  wrestle, 
And  He  will  perform  ; 
,       With  Christ  in  the  vessel. 
I  smile  at  the  storm. 


/20        HYMNS   THAT    HAYE   HELPED. 


Though  dark  be  my  way, 

Since  He  is  my  guide, 
'T  is  mine  to  obey, 

'T  is  His  to  provide  : 
Though  cisterns  be  broken, 

And  creatures  all  fail, 
The  word  He  hath  spoken 

Shall  surely  prevail. 

His  love,  in  time  past, 

Forbids  me  to  think 
He  '11  leave  me  at  last 

In  trouble  to  sink  : 
Each  sweet  Ebenezer 

I  have  in  review, 
Confirms  His  good  pleasure 

To  help  me  quite  through. 

Determined  to  save, 

He  watched  o'er  my  path, 
When,  Satan's  blind  slave, 

I  sported  with  death. 
And  can  He  have  taught  me 

To  trust  in  His  name, 
And  thus  far  have  brought  me 

To  put  me  to  shame  ? 

Why  should  I  complain 

Of  want  or  distress, 
Temptation  or  pain  ?  — 

He  told  me  no  less ; 
The  heirs  of  salvation, 

I  know  from  His  Word, 
Through  much  tribulation 

Must  follow  their  Lord. 

How  bitter  that  cup, 
No  heart  can  conceive, 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        12  1 

Which  He  drank  quite  up, 

That  sinners  might  live! 
His  way  was  much  rougher 

And  darker  than  mine  ; 
Did  Jesus  thus  suffer, 

And  shall  I  repine  ? 

Since  all  that  I  meet 

Shall  work  for  my  good, 
The  bitter  is  sweet, 

The  medicine,  food ; 
Though  painful  at  present, 

'T  will  cease  before  long, 
And  then,  oh,  how  pleasant 

The  conqueror's  song ! 

Tune  —  "  Hanover.  " 

Among  the  multitudinous  testimonies  which  poured 
in  upon  me  from  those  who  had  been  helped  by  hymns, 
none  touched  me  more  than  the  story  told  by  a  poor 
Lancashire  lass  who,  under  the  stress  of  passionate 
temptation,  had  forgotten  the  responsibilities  of  her 
position  as  Sunday-school  teacher  and  the  obligations 
of  her  maidenhood.  She  married  her  lover  before  her 
child  was  born,  but  the  sense  of  her  sin  burnt  like  vit- 
riol into  her  life.  She  wrote :  "  It  seemed  to  me  no 
soul  in  hell  could  be  blacker  than  mine.  To  feel  that 
I  had  disgraced  the  Master's  service  and  dishonoured 
His  Holy  Name,  was  the  bitterest  drop  in  my  cup. 
Never  shall  I  forget  those  awful  months,  nay,  years  of 
torture.  If  any  soul  doubts  the  reality  of  a  hell,  let  him 
live  through  what  I  lived  then.  I  have  been  there,  and 
know  it  exists.  My  girls  brought  me  out  and  begged 
me  to  go  back  to  teach.  Good  God  !  a  thing  like  me 
to  go  back  to  teach  these  poor  innocent  creatures! 
I  shrunk  away,  feeling  I  could  never  desecrate  the 
threshold  of  God's  house  by  my  presence.  They  came 
again  ;  it  was  Christmas  Eve.  They  sang  the  carols  at 
our  door,  and  then  came  in,  kissing  and  making  much 


122        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

of  me.  Presently  my  husband  began  to  play  on  the 
piano  the  clear  old  hymn,  '  Begone,  unbelief,'  the  girls 
all  joining  in  with  lips  untouched  by  care.  I  had  to 
leave  the  room.  All  the  pent-up  agony  of  months  were 
in  the  strain  since  I  was  not  even  fit  to  sing  it,  and  then 
kneeling  at  my  bedside  in  the  darkness,  there  came  to 
me  two  lines  of  the  hymn  they  had  been  singing  :  — 

How  bitter  that  cup  no  heart  can  conceive 

Which  He  drank  quite  up  that  sinners  might  live. 

Bitterer  than  even  mine,  I  thought,  and  He  drank  it  for 
vie.  That  was  the  miracle  for  me,  and  I  knew  myself 
forgiven,  knew  that  the  Christ  was  looking  at  me,  not 
with  angry,  but  with  pitying  eyes.  Ah,  the  blessedness 
of  it !  But  do  you  suppose  I  could  ever  forgive  myself 
more  than  ever  I  blamed  and  hated  myself?  And  now 
there  came  to  me  a  messenger  direct  from  God.  One 
of  the  friends  who  visited  the  place  quarterly  called  to 
see  me;  when  he  rose  to  go  he  laid  his  hand  on  my 
shoulder,  and,  looking  me  straight  in  the  face,  said : 
'  My  child,  when  are  you  going  back  to  your  work  ? 
They  need  you  there,  your  class  needs  you,  the  whole 
school  needs  you,  and  God  wants  you.  If  you  have 
done  wrong,  go  and  atone  for  it.'  He  left  me,  but  his 
words  were  alive  —  atone  for  it :  could  I  ?  Was  that 
the  way  the  Master  would  have  me  take,  show  Him 
how  real  my  sorrow  was  by  trying  to  save  others  from 
the  pit  into  which  I  had  fallen  ?  If  that  were  so,  then 
I  could  brave  sneers  and  ridicule,  stand  to  be  despised 
and  looked  down  upon,  if  only  I  might  in  some  degree 
atone,  and  show  forth  my  loyalty  and  love  for  Him,  I 
would  do  or  bear  whatsoever  He  chose,  and  so  I  went 
back  to  service  to  bear  and  endure,  and  be  tested,  and 
I  carried  with  me  into  the  fight  the  last  verse  of  my 
hymn. 

Since  all  that  I  meet  doth  work  for  my  good, 
The  bitter  is  sweet,  the  medicine  food. 
Though  painful  at  present,  't  will  cease  before  long, 
And  then,  oh,  how  pleasant  the  conqueror's  song. 


■ 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.        1 23 

"  That  verse  was  my  help  and  stay  through  all  the 
long,  weary  years  when  I  slowly  climbed  my  way  back 
to  peace  and  happiness,  and  the  esteem  of  those  whom 
I  respected  and  desired  should  respect  me.  Can  you 
wonder  that  this  hymn  is  precious  to  me,  that  I  hold  it 
dearer  than  all  others,  and  I  think  until  I  stand  in  His 
presence  it  will  be  one  of  the  most  hallowed  and  sacred 
of  my  possessions.  My  story  is  done  ;  it  is  not  the  story 
of  saint  or  martyr,  but  of  a  girl's  sorrow  and  sin,  of  a 
woman's  struggle  and  victory  through  Christ  Jesus.  It 
has  not  been  an  easy  task  to  write  it ;  one  does  n't  as  a 
rule  '  volunteer  heart  history  to  a  crowd/  but  there  are 
other  girls  in  the  world  passing  through  the  self-same 
trials,  and  if  my  life-story  can  help  them  I  have  no 
right  to  hold  it  back." 

A  lady  writing  from  the  Citadel  of  Cairo,  says  of  this 
hymn:  "I  am  surprised  and  disappointed  to  find  that 
it  is  not  in  the  Simday  at  Home  list.  It  is  the  hymn 
that  I  love  best  of  the  hundreds  that  I  know  ;  it  has 
helped  me  scores  of  times  in  the  dark  days  of  my  life, 
and  has  never  failed  to  inspire  me  with  fresh  hope 
and  confidence  when  '  life  looked  dark  and  dreary  ; ' 
and  it  is  dear  to  me  from  associations  with  the  memory 
of  the  best  of  fathers.  To  him,  in  his  many  and  sore 
troubles,  it  was  a  source  of  comfort  and  help,  and,  I  be- 
lieve, was  to  him  a  sort  of  link  by  which  he  held  on  to 
God.  To  me  the  words  are  not  doggerel  at  all,  they 
are  just  lovely.  I  often  go  about  singing  them  when 
alone,  to  help  me  on  in  the  way." 

49— GIVE  TO  THE  WINDS  THY  FEARS. 

Mr.  Stevenson,  in  his  notes  on  the  Methodist  Hymn- 
Book,  says :  "  There  is  not  a  hymn  in  the  book  which 
has  afforded  more  comfort  and  encouragement  than  this 
to  the  Lord's  tried  people."  The  legend  connected  with 
this  hymn  recalls  the  delightful  tales  in  the  lives  of  the 
Saints.  The  origin  of  the  hymn  itself  is  not  unworthy 
the  record  of  its  subsequent  exploits.     Gerhardt  was 


124       HYMNS   THAT  HAVE   HELPED. 

exiled  from  Brandenburg  by  the  Grand  Elector  in  1659. 
The  said  Grand  Elector  wished  to  "tune  his  pulpits." 
Gerhardt  refused  to  preach  save  what  he  found  in  God's 
Word.  Notice  to  quit  thereupon  being  promptly  served 
upon  the  intrepid  preacher,  he  tramped  forth  a  home- 
less exile,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  children.  Wife 
and  weans  at  night,  wearied  and  weeping,  sought  refuge 
in  a  wayside  inn.  Gerhardt,  unable  to  comfort  them, 
went  out  into  the  wood  to  pray.  As  he  prayed,  the 
text  "  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord,  trust  also  in  Him 
and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass,"  recurred  to  his  mind  and 
comforted  him  so  amazingly  that  he  paced  to  and  fro 
under  the  forest  trees  and  began  composing  a  hymn 
which,  being  Englished  by  John  Wesley,  has  deservedly 
become  a  great  comfort  to  all  English-speaking  peoples. 
Returning  to  the  inn,  he  cheered  his  wife  with  his  text 
and  his  hymn,  and  they  went  to  bed  rejoicing  in  confi- 
dent hope  that  God  would  take  care  of  them.  They 
had  hardly  retired  before  a  thunderous  knocking  at  the 
door  roused  them  all.  It  was  a  mounted  messenger 
from  Duke  Christian  of  Merseburg,  riding  in  hot  haste 
to  deliver  a  sealed  packet  to  Dr.  Gerhardt.  The  good 
doctor  opened  it,  and  read  therein  a  hearty  invitation 
from  the  Duke,  who  offered  him  "  church,  people,  home, 
and  livelihood,  and  liberty  to  preach  the  Gospel  as  your 
heart  may  prompt  you."  So,  adds  the  chronicle,  the 
Lord  took  care  of  His  servant.  Here  is  a  portion  of 
the  hymn  which  was  composed  under  such  singular 
circumstances. 

GIVE  to  the  winds  thy  fears; 
Hope,  and  be  undismayed  : 
God  hears  thy  sighs,  and  counts  thy  tears : 
God  shall  lift  up  thy  head. 
Through  waves,  through  clouds  and  storms, 
He  gently  clears  the  way. 
Wait  thou  His  time  ;  so  shall  the  night 
Soon  end  in  joyous  day. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 25 


He  everywhere  hath  sway, 

And  all  things  serve  His  might ; 
His  every  act  pure  blessing  is, 

His  path  unsullied  light. 

When  He  makes  bare  His  arm, 

What  shall  His  work  withstand? 
When  He  His  people's  cause  defends, 

Who,  who  shall  stay  His  hand  ? 

Leave  to  His  sovereign  will 

To  choose,  and  to  command ; 
With  wonder  filled,  thou  then  shalt  own 

How  wise,  how  strong  His  hand. 

Thou  comprehend'st  Him  not; 

Yet  earth  and  heaven  tell, 
God  sits  as  Sovereign  on  the  throne; 

He  ruleth  all  things  well. 

Thou  seest  our  weakness,  Lord; 

Our  hearts  are  known  to  Thee. 
O  lift  Thou  up  the  sinking  hand  ; 

Confirm  the  feeble  knee. 

Let  us,  in  life  and  death, 

Boldly  Thy  truth  declare  ; 
And  publish,  with  our  latest  breath, 

Thy  love  and  guardian  care. 

Tune — Dr.  Gauntlett's  "St.  George." 

There  is  a  long  list  of  worthies  who  have  been 
cheered  in  life  and  death  by  this  hymn,  but  the  cham- 
pion story  of  them  all  is  the  Legend  of  the  Raven.  I 
must  quote  it  intact :  — 

In  a  village  near  Warsaw  there  lived  a  pious  German 
peasant  named  Dobyr.  Without  remedy  he  had  fallen 
into  arrears  of  rent,  and  his  landlord  threatened  to  evict 
him.  It  was  winter.  Thrice  he  appealed  for  a  respite, 
but  in  vain.     It  was  evening,  and  the  next  day  his  fam- 


126        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

ily  were  to  be  turned  out  into  the  snow.  Dobyr  kneeled 
down  in  the  midst  of  his  family.  After  prayer  they 
sang : — 

Commit  thou  all  thy  griefs 

And  ways  into  His  hands. 

As  they  came  to  the  last  verse,  in  German,  of  Part  I., 

When  Thou  wouldst  all  our  need  supply, 
Who,  who  shall  stay  Thy  hand  ? 

there  was  a  knock  at  the  window  close  by  where  he 
knelt,  and  opening  it  Dobyr  was  met  by  a  raven,  one 
which  his  grandfather  had  tamed  and  set  at  liberty.  In 
its  bill  was  a  ring,  set  with  precious  stones.  This  he 
took  to  his  minister,  who  said  at  once  that  it  belonged  to 
the  King  Stanislaus,  to  whom  he  returned  it,  and  re- 
lated his  story.  The  King  sent  for  Dobyr,  and  besides 
rewarding  him  on  the  spot,  built  for  him,  next  year,  a 
new  house,  and  stocked  his  cattle  stalls  from  the  roval 
domain.  Over  the  house  door,  on  an  iron  tablet,  there 
is  carved  a  raven  with  a  ring  in  its  beak,  and  under- 
neath this  address  to  Divine  Providence  :  — 

Thou  everywhere  hast  sway, 

And  all  things  serve  Thy  might ; 

Thy  every  act  pure  blessing  is, 
Thy  path  unsullied  light. 

50 -FATHER,  I  KNOW  THAT  ALL  MY 

LIFE. 

Miss  Waring,  like  Charlotte  Elliott  and  Adelaide 
Procter,  made  notable  contributions  to  the  hymnody  of 
Resignation.  This  hymn  of  Miss  Waring's  has  helped 
myriads. 

FATHER,  I  know  that  all  my  life 
Is  portioned  out  for  me, 
The  changes  that  will  surely  come, 
I  do  not  fear  to  see ; 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED.         1 27 

I  ask  Thee  for  a  present  mind 
Intent  on  pleasing  Thee. 

I  ask  Thee  for  a  thoughtful  love, 
Through  constant  watching  wise, 

To  meet  the  glad  with  joyful  smiles, 
And  wipe  the  weeping  eyes  ; 

A  heart  at  leisure  from  itself, 
To  soothe  and  sympathise. 

I  would  not  have  the  restless  will 

That  hurries  to  and  fro, 
That  seeks  for  some  great  thing  to  do, 

Or  secret  thing  to  know  ; 
I  would  be  treated  as  a  child, 

And  guided  where  I  go. 

Wherever  in  the  world  I  am, 

In  whatsoe'er  estate, 
I  have  a  fellowship  with  hearts 

To  keep  and  cultivate  ; 
A  work  of  lowly  love  to  do 

For  Him  on  whom  I  wait. 

I  ask  Thee  for  the  daily  strength, 

To  none  that  ask  denied; 
A  mind  to  blend  with  outward  life, 

While  keeping  at  Thy  side  : 
Content  to  fill  a  little  space, 

If  Thou  be  glorified. 

Briers  beset  our  every  path, 

Which  call  for  patient  care; 
There  is  a  cross  in  every  lot, 

A  constant  need  for  prayer  : 
But  lowly  hearts  that  lean  on  Thee 

Are  happy  everywhere. 


128        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

In  service  which  Thy  love  appoints, 

There  are  no  bonds  for  me. 
My  secret  heart  is  taught  the  truth 

That  makes  Thy  children  free  : 
A  life  of  self-renouncing  love 

Is  one  of  liberty. 

Tune  —  "Lebanon,"  from  Spohr. 

A  clergyman  who  has  at  last  been  compelled  by  the 
loss  of  his  voice  to  abandon  his  living,  writes  me  as 
follows :  — 

"  This  hymn  has  been  a  more  definite  help  in  stimu- 
lating the  heart  to  considerate  kindness  and  cheerful 
trust.  A  year  ago  my  voice  failed  me,  and  the  spring 
of  1895  f°und  me  seeking  recovery  in  rest  and  change 
of  air;  but  haunted  with  the  fear  that  this  loss  of  voice 
might  be  permanent,  and  that  I  might  have  to  resign 
my  living  and  give  up  my  life's  work,  whilst  yet  almost 
in  the  vigour  of  life.  This  fear  was  verified,  and  I  re- 
signed my  living  last  July.  But,  as  usually  happens, 
the  actual  trial  was  not  so  depressing  as  the  fear  of  it." 

A  lady  in  the  West  of  England  sends  me  this  note 
on  this  hymn,  and  how  it  helped  her  :  — 

"  This  hymn  was  sung  one  Sunday  when  I  had  wan- 
dered into  a  strange  place  of  worship  —  a  Wesleyan 
chapel,  I  think.  I  was  simply  eaten  up  with  ambition 
and  the  craving  to  know  the  secret  things,  and  do  the 
great  ones  of  Life ;  and  this  hymn  showed  me  The 
Better  Way.  I  saw  that  it  was  good  to  be  content,  '  to 
fill  a  little  space,'  and  in  a  sort  of  waking  vision  I  saw 
that  great  things  were  not  for  me,  but  as  someone 
(Dante,  perhaps)  has  said:  'In  God's  will  lies  our 
place.'  So  you  see  my  hymn  was  the  overture  to  my 
little  Act  of  Renunciation,  and  now  I  black  stoves  and 
dust  rooms,  and  possess  my  soul  in  patience,  and 
understand  a  little  what  the  '  Peace  that  passeth  under- 
standing '  may  mean." 

Another  lady  writes  me:    "This  hymn  came  to  me 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 29 

when  I  was  a  girl  of  eighteen,  and  it  has  continued  its 
power  over  me  till  now,  over  twenty  years.  It  seems 
to  me  that  ideal  Christian  service,  for  women,  at  all 
events,  is  'a  heart  at  leisure  from  itself  to  soothe  and 
sympathise.'  Many  times  these  lines,  turned  into  a 
prayer,  have  led  me  to  get  the  better  of  the  demon  of 
selfishness." 

5J— THE  J21st  PSALM. 

Mr.  Crockett  places  this  psalm  second  only  to  the 
Twenty-third.  It  was  one  of  the  two  psalms  —  the  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth  being  the  other  —  that  David 
Livingstone  read  on  the  morning  of  the  day  when  he 
first  quitted  Scotland  for  the  African  mission-field.  It 
was  known  as  the  Traveller's  Psalm  from  the  days  of 
Bishop  Hooper,  who  used  it  before  setting  out  on  a 
journey. 

TO  the  hills  will  lift  mine  eyes, 
from  whence  doth  come  mine  aid. 

My  safety  cometh  from  the  Lord, 
who  heav'n  and  earth  hath  made. 

Thy  foot  he  '11  not  let  slide,  nor  will 
he  slumber  that  thee  keeps. 

Behold,  he  that  keeps  Israel, 
he  slumbers  not,  nor  sleeps. 

The  Lord  thee  keeps,  the  Lord  thy  shade 
on  thy  right  hand  doth  stay : 

The  moon  by  night  thee  shall  not  smite, 
nor  yet  the  sun  by  day. 

The  Lord  shall  keep  thy  soul ;  he  shall 
preserve  thee  from  all  ill. 

Henceforth  thy  going  out  and  in 
God  keep  for  ever  will. 

Tune  —  "Solomon,"  from  Handel. 


I 


130        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

Mr.  Marson  notes  that  Edward,  the  Black  Prince, 
chose  the  first  clause  of  the  second  verse  as  the  motto 
for  the  coins  struck  in  England  in  1362.  In  the  United 
States  Tate  &  Brady's  paraphrase,  beginning,  "  To 
Sion's  Hill  I  lift  my  eyes,"  is  the  popular  version. 

VII.  —  Resignation. 

52  — LORD,  IT  BELONGS  NOT  TO  MY 

CARE. 

Richard  Baxter,  the  author  of  the  "  Saints'  Everlast- 
ing Rest,"  had  a  tolerably  troubled  time — without  much 
rest  in  it  —  on  this  side  the  grave.  He  was  troubled  by 
the  Independents  under  Cromwell ;  by  the  Royalists 
after  the  Restoration,  who  ejected  him;  and  by  Judge 
Jeffreys,  who  bullied  and  abused  him.  But  these  were 
only  of  the  outside  and  of  the  surface ;  within,  the  old 
saint  had  an  everlasting  rest  of  his  own.  The  secret  of 
this  peace  he  expressed  in  the  following  hymn  :  — 

ORD,  it  belongs  not  to  my  care, 
Whether  I  die  or  live; 
To  love  and  serve  Thee  is  my  share, 
And  this  Thy  grace  must  give. 

If  life  be  long  I  will  be  glad, 

That  I  may  long  obey: 
If  short  —  yet  why  should  I  be  sad 

To  soar  to  endless  day  ? 

Christ  leads  me  through  no  darker  rooms 

Than  He  went  through  before  ; 
He  that  into  God's  kingdom  comss, 

Must  enter  by  His  door. 

Come,  Lord,  when  grace  hath  made  me  meet 

Thy  blessed  face  to  see  ; 
For  if  Thy  work  on  earth  be  sweet, 

What  will  Thy  glory  be  ? 


L° 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.         131 


Then  I  shall  end  my  sad  complaints 

And  weary  sinful  days; 
And  join  with  the  triumphant  saints 

To  sing  Jehovah's  praise. 

My  knowledge  of  that  life  is  small, 

The  eye  of  faith  is  dim  ; 
But  'tis  enough  that  Christ  knows  all, 

And  I  shall  be  with  Him. 

Tune  —  "  Aristides." 

An  old  widow  writes:  "The  hymn  that  has  the 
sweetest  and  tenderest  memories  for  me  is  that  of  Bax- 
ter's. I  repeated  it  in  my  last  farewell  words  to  my 
husband,  and  he  echoed  it  with  his  dying  lips,  and  then 
said :  '  It  is  enough  that  Christ  knows  all,  and  that  I 
shall  be  with  Him.' "  A  missionary  writes  to  me  from 
Wenchow  describing  how  one  verse  in  this  hymn 
helped  him.  When  a  student  in  Manchester  his  spirit 
shrunk  from  the  sacrifice  entailed  by  dedication  to  the 
work  of  a  missionary  in  China.  He  was  convinced 
that  he  could  not  stand  the  climate,  and  that  he  would 
very  shortly  die  if  he  went  out  to  the  Far  East.  "  One 
day  as  I  was  kneeling  in  prayer  in  my  room  at  the  Col- 
lege, I  was  more  miserable  in  spirit  than  usual,  when, 
like  a  heaven-sent  message,  the  first  three  verses  of 
Richard  Baxter's  beautiful  hymn  came  to  me.  The 
first  verse  is,  as  you  know,  as  follows  :  — 

'  Lord,  it  belongs  not  to  my  care, 

Whether  I  die  or  live  ; 
To  love  and  serve  Thee  is  my  share, 

And  this  Thy  grace  must  give.' 

Light,  liberty,  and  strength  came  with  the  message  of 
this  hymn,  which  at  the  time  became  the  words  of  my 
prayer,  instead  of  the  doubting  and  hesitating  thoughts 
of  my  heart.  For  four  years  I  have  been  working  in 
this  land  of  China,  and  the  message  of  Baxter's  hymn 
still  abides  with  me  as  a  source  of  comfort  and 
strength." 


132        HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

53  — O   LORD,    HOW    HAPPY   SHOULD   WE 

BE. 

Joseph  Anstice,  Professor  of  Classical  Literature  at 
King's  College,  London,  who  died  in  1836,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight,  wrote  the  following  hymn,  with  others, 
during  his  last  illness  :  — 

OLORD,  how  happy  should  we  be, 
If  we  could  cast  our  care  on  Thee  ; 
If  we  from  self  could  rest, 
And  feel,  at  heart,  that  One  above, 
In  perfect  wisdom,  perfect  love, 
Is  working;  for  the  best : 


*& 


Could  we  but  kneel  and  cast  our  load, 
E'en  while  we  pray,  upon  our  God ; 

Then  rise  with  lightened  cheer, 
Sure  that  the  Father,  who  is  nigh 
To  still  the  famished  raven's  cry, 

Will  hear  in  that  we  fear. 

How  far  from  this,  our  daily  life  ! 
Ever  disturbed  by  anxious  strife, 

By  sudden,  wild  alarms  : 
O  could  we  but  relinquish  all 
Our  earthly  props,  and  simply  fall 

On  Thine  almighty  arms ! 

Tune  —  "  Innsbruck." 

54  — THY  WAY,  NOT  MINE,  O  LORD. 

The  Scotch  Presbyterian,  Dr.  Bonar,  joins  in  with  this 
familiar  hymn :  — 

'HY  way,  not  mine,  O  Lord, 
However  dark  it  be  ; 
Lead  me  by  Thine  own  hand, 
Choose  out  the  path  for  me. 


T 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 33 

Smooth  let  it  be  or  rough, 
.  It  will  be  still  the  best ; 
Winding  or  straight,  it  leads 
Right  onward  to  Thy  rest. 

I  dare  not  choose  my  lot ; 

I  would  not  if  I  might : 
Choose  Thou  for  me,  my  God, 

So  shall  I  walk  aright. 

The  kingdom  that  I  seek 

Is  Thine:  so  let  the  way 
That  leads  to  it  be  Thine, 

Else  I  must  surely  stray. 

Take  Thou  my  cup,  and  it 

With  joy  or  sorrow  fill, 
As  best  to  Thee  may  seem  ; 

Choose  Thou  my  good  and  ill. 

Choose  Thou  for  me  my  friends, 
My  sickness  or  my  health  ; 

Choose  Thou  my  cares  for  me, 
My  poverty  or  wealth. 

Tune  —  "St.  Denys  "  or  "Fiducia." 

55  — 'TIS  MY  HAPPINESS  BELOW. 

Cowper,  who  had  more  than  the  ordinary  share  of  the 
burdens  of  life,  made  the  best  of  his  sad  case  in  this 
hymn,  which  has  dispelled  more  gloom  than  ever 
Cowper  suffered. 

IS  my  happiness  below, 
Not  to  live  without  the  cross, 
But  the  Saviour's  power  to  know, 
Sanctifying  every  loss. 

Trials  must  and  will  befall : 
But  with  humble  faith  to  see 


T 


134        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Love  inscribed  upon  them  all, 
This  is  happiness  to  me. 

God,  in  Israel,  sows  the  seeds 

Of  affliction,  pain,  and  toil; 

These  spring  up  and  choke  the  weeds 

Which  would  else  o'erspread  the  soil. 

Trials  make  the  promise  sweet ; 
Trials  give  new  life  to  prayer ; 
Trials  bring  me  to  His  feet, 
Lay  me  low  and  keep  me  there. 

Did  I  meet  no  trials  here, 
No  correction  by  the  way, 
Might  I  not  with  reason  fear 
I  should  prove  a  cast-away  ? 

Worldlings  may  escape  the  rod, 
Sunk  in  earthly,  vain  delight ; 
But  the  true-born  child  of  God 
Must  not,  would  not,  if  he  might. 

Tune  —  "German  Hymn." 

56  — THY  WILL  BE  DONE. 

Charlotte  Elliott,  a  life-long  invalid,  wrote  several 
hymns,  each  of  which  is  as  a  chalice  in  which  she  has 
preserved  for  the  consolation  of  other  sufferers  the  fruit 
of  her  own  prolonged  affliction.  Of  these  "  Thy  will  be 
done  "  is  the  first  and  best. 

MY  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray 
Far  from  my  home,  on  life's  rough  way, 

0  teach  me  from  my  heart  to  say,  — 

Thy  will  be  done  ! 

If  Thou  shouldst  call  me  to  resign 
What  most  I  prize,  —  it  ne'er  was  mine  : 

1  only  yield  Thee  what  was  Thine  ; 

Thy  will  be  done  ! 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


135 


E'en  if  again  I  ne'er  should  see 
The  friend  more  dear  than  life  to  me, 
Ere  long  we  both  shall  be  with  Thee  ; 
Thy  will  be  done  ! 

Should  pining  sickness  waste  away 
My  life  in  premature  decay, 
My  Father,  still  I  strive  to  say,  — 
Thy  will  be  done  ! 

If  but  my  fainting  heart  be  blest 
With  Thy  sweet  Spirit  for  its  guest, 
My  God,  to  Thee  I  leave  the  rest; 
Thy  will  be  done  ! 

Renew  my  will  from  day  to  day ; 
Blend  it  with  Thine,  and  take  away 
All  that  now  makes  it  hard  to  say 
Thy  will  be  done  ! 

Then,  when  on  earth  I  breathe  no  more 
The  prayer  oft  mixed  with  tears  before, 
I  '11  sing  upon  a  happier  shore, — 
Thy  will  be  done  ! 

Tune  —  "  Troyte's  Chant." 


57— MY  GOD,  MY  FATHER,  BLISSFUL 

NAME. 

This  famous  hymn,  by  Miss  Steele,  the  daughter  of  a 
Baptist  minister  in  a  Hampshire  village,  is  described 
by  Archdeacon  Wilson,  of  Manchester,  as  the  first  of 
the  three  hundred  which  he  learned  as  a  boy,  and  which 
entered  into  his  bone  and  blood  as  the  true  philosophy 
of  life  and  the  wisest  prayer. 

Y  God,  my  Father,  blissful  name! 
O  may  I  call  Thee  mine  ? 
May  I  with  sweet  assurance  claim 
A  portion  so  divine  ? 


M 


136        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

This  only  can  my  fears  control, 

And  bid  my  sorrows  fly. 
What  harm  can  ever  reach  my  soul 

Beneath  my  Father's  eye  ? 

Whate'er  Thy  Providence  denies, 

I  calmly  would  resign, 
For  Thou  art  good  and  just  and  wise  : 

O  bend  my  will  to  Thine. 

Whate'er  Thy  sacred  will  ordains, 

O  give  me  strength  to  bear ; 
And  let  me  know  my  Father  reigns, 

And  trust  His  tender  care. 

Thy  sovereign  ways  are  all  unknown 

To  my  weak,  erring  sight ; 
Yet  let  my  soul  adoring  own 

That  all  Thy  ways  are  right. 

My  God,  my  Father,  be  Thy  name 

My  solace  and  my  stay. 
O  wilt  Thou  seal  my  humble  claim, 

And  drive  my  fears  away  ? 

Tune  —  "  Lincoln." 


58 -O  THOUt  FROM  WHOM  ALL 
GOODNESS  FLOWS. 

This  hymn  was  written  by  Thomas  Haweis,  who  lived 
from  1732  to  1820. 

OTHOU,  from  whom  all  goodness  flows, 
I  lift  my  soul  to  Thee  : 
In  all  my  sorrows,  conflicts,  woes, 
Good  Lord,  remember  me.. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 37 


When  on  my  aching,  burdened  heart 

My  sins  lie  heavily, 
My  pardon  speak,  new  peace  impart; 

In  love,  remember  me. 

When  trials  sore  obstruct  my  way, 

And  ills  I  cannot  flee, 
Lord,  let  my  strength  be  as  my  day  ; 

For  good  remember  me. 

When  worn  with  pain,  disease,  and  grief, 

This  feeble  body  see  ; 
Grant  patience,  rest,  and  kind  relief, 

Hear  and  remember  me. 

If  on  my  face,  for  Thy  dear  name, 

Shame  and  reproach  shall  be  ; 
All  hail  reproach,  and  welcome  shame, 

If  Thou  remember  me. 

When,  in  the  solemn  hour  of  death, 

I  wait  Thy  just  decree, 
Saviour,  with  my  last  parting  breath 

I  '11  cry,  —  Remember  me. 

Tune  —  "  Dalehurst." 

When  Henry  Martyn,  one  of  the  earliest  and  most 
saintly  of  the  Protestant  missionaries,  was  labouring  in 
Persia,  he  found  much  consolation  by  repeating  in  his 
tent,  amid  the  revilings  of  his  persecutors :  — 

If  on  my  face,  for  Thy  dear  name 

Shame  and  reproaches  be, 
All  hail  reproach,  and  welcome  shame, 

If  Thou  remember  me. 

The  Rev.  C.  H.  E.  White  mentions,  as  an  incident  in 
his  own  experience,  that  "  O  Thou,  from  whom  all 
goodness  flows  "  was  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  a 
young  guardsman,  who  was  executed  for  murder.     His 


138        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

last  word  on  the  scaffold  was  the  burden  of  the  hymn, 
"  Oh  Lord,  remember  me."  The  rector  says  :'  "  The 
hymn,  always  a  favourite  with  me,  is  now  very  specially 
written  on  my  heart,  and  it  is  a  hymn  which  has  helped 
me  not  a  little." 

59  — THE  EMPEROR    FREDERICK'S   HYMN. 

When  the  Emperor  Frederick  lay  dying  of  the  cancer 
which  made  his  brief  reign  but  one  long  agony,  he  was 
said  to  have  derived  much  help  and  comfort  in  the 
gloom  by  the  following  simple  hymn,  written  by  a  lad 
of  twelve,  named  Ernst  von  Willich.  The  boy  was  an 
invalid,  and,  like  many  others  greater  than  he,  had 
learnt  in  suffering  what  he  taught  in  song.  The 
hymn  has  been  Englished  as  follows  :  — 

IF  the  Lord  me  sorrow  send, 
Let  me  bear  it  patiently  ; 
Lifting  up  my  heart  in  prayer, 
Comfort  He  will  not  deny  ; 
Therefore,  let  there  come  what  will, 
In  the  Lord  my  heart  is  still. 

Though  the  heart  is  often  weak, 

Full  of  pain,  and  all  forlorn, 

Though  in  days  of  utmost  pain  * 

Not  a  day  of  joy  will  dawn, 

Tell  it,  let  there  come  what  will, 

In  the  Lord  all  pain  is  still. 

So  I  pray,  Oh  Lord,  my  God, 
Let  my  hope  and  comfort  stand, 
Fear  nor  care  no  more  I  heed, 
Guided  ever  by  Thy  hand. 
Therefore,  let  there  come  what  will, 
In  the  Lord  my  heart  is  still. 

Tune  —  "  Dix." 


HYMNS    THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 39 


R' 


VUL  —  Salvation* 

60  — ROCK  OF  AGES. 

When  the  Sunday  at  Home  took  the  plebiscite  of  3,500 
of  its  readers  as  to  which  were  the  best  hymns  in  the 
language,  the  "  Rock  of  Ages  "  stood  at  the  top  of  the 
tree,  having  no  fewer  than  3,215  votes.  Only  three 
other  hymns  had  more  than  3,000  votes.  They  were, 
"  Abide  with  me,"  "  Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul/'  and 
"  Just  as  I  am." 

OCK  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee ! 
Let  the  water  and  the  blood, 
From  Thy  riven  side  which  flowed, 
Be  of  sin  the  double  cure, 
Cleanse  me  from  its  guilt  and  power. 

Not  the  labours  of  my  hands 
Can  fulfil  Thy  law's  demands  : 
Could  my  zeal  no  respite  know, 
Could  my  tears  for  ever  flow, 
All  for  sin  could  not  atone, 
Thou  must  save,  and  Thou  alone ! 

Nothing  in  my  hand  I  bring  ; 
Simply  to  Thy  cross  I  cling  ; 
Naked,  come  to  Thee  for  dress; 
Helpless,  look  to  Thee  for  grace  ; 
Foul,  I  to  the  fountain  fly: 
Wash  me,  Saviour,  or  I  die ! 

While  I  draw  this  fleeting  breath  — 
When  my  eye-strings  break  in  death  — 
When  I  soar  to  worlds  unknown  — 
See  Thee  on  Thy  judgment  throne  — 
Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee  ! 

Tune— "Redhead,  No.  76." 


I40        HYMNS  THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

Toplady,  a  Calvinist  vicar  of  a  Devonshire   parish, 
little  dreamed  that  he  was  composing  the  most  popu- 
lar hymn  in  the  language  when  he  wrote  what  he  called 
"  A  living  and  dying  prayer  for  the  holiest  believer  in 
the  world."     For  Toplady  was  a  sad  polemist,  whose 
orthodox  soul  was  outraged  by  the  Arminianism  of  the 
Wesleys.     He  and  they  indulged  in  much  disputation 
of  the  brickbat  and  Billingsgate  order,  as  was  the  fash- 
ion in  those  days.     Toplady  put  much  of  his  time  and 
energy  into  the  composition  of  controversial  pamphlets, 
on  which  the  good  man  prided  himself  not  a  little.    The 
dust  lies  thick  upon  these  his  works,  nor  is  it  likely  to  be 
disturbed  now  or  in  the  future.     But  in  a  pause  in  the 
fray,  just  by  way  of  filling  up  an  interval  in  the  firing  of 
polemical    broadsides,    Augustus    Montague    Toplady 
thought  he  saw  a  way  of  launching  an   airy  dart  at   a 
joint  in  Wesley's  armour,  on  the  subject  of   Sanctifica- 
tion.    So  without  much  ado,  and  without  any  knowledge 
that  it  was  by  this  alone  he  was  to    render  permanent 
service  to  mankind,  he  sent  off  to  the  Gospel  Magazine  of 
1776  the  hymn  "  Rock  of  Ages."1     When  it  appeared, 
he  had,  no  doubt,  considerable  complacency  in  reflecting 
how  he    had   winged    his    opponent    for   his    insolent 
doctrine  of    entire    sanctification,   and  it    is    probable 
that  before  he  died,  —  for  he  only  survived  its  publica- 
tion by  two  years,  dying  when  but  thirty-eight,  —  he  had 
still  no  conception  of  the  relative  importance  of  his  own 
work.     But  to-day  the  world  knows   Toplady  only  as 
the    writer   of   these   four   verses.      All    else   that   he 
laboured  over  it  has  forgotten,  and   indeed  does  well 
to  forget. 

It  was  this  hymn  which  the  Prince  Consort  asked  for 
as  he  came  near  to  death.     Mr.  Gladstone   has  trans- 

1  On  the  appearance  of  the  first  edition  of  this  work  a  minis- 
terial correspondent  who  has  given  considerable  attention  tc 
the  subject  of  hymnology  wrote  to  say  that  this  story  of  the 
hymn  "  Rock  of  Ages  "  was  rather  misleading.  "  Toplady," 
he  said,  "  was  editor  of  the  Gospel  Magazine  at  the  time, 
and  the  hymn  was  the  pendant  to  a  curious  theological  article.'1 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


141 


lated  it  into  Latin,  Greek,  and  Italian.  Dr.  Pusey 
declared  it  to  be  "  the  most  deservedly  popular  hymn, 
perhaps  the  very  favourite."  The  followers  of  Wesley, 
against  whom  the  hymn  was  originally  launched  as  a 
light  missile  in  the  polemical  combat,  seized  it  for  their 
collection  and  mutilated  it  the  while  —  why,  does  not 
clearly  appear.  The  unfortunate  Armenians  who  were 
butchered  the  other  day  in  Constantinople  sang  a  trans- 
lation of  "  Rock  of  Ages  "  which,  indeed,  has  made  the 
tour  of  the  world,  side  by  side  with  the  Bible  and  the 
Pilgrim's  Progress.  It  is  recorded  that  General  Stuart, 
the  dashing  cavalry  leader  of  the  Southern  Confeder- 
acy, sang  the  hymn  with  his  dying  strength,  as  his 
life  slowly  ebbed  away  from  the  wounds  he  had  re- 
ceived in  the  battles  before  Richmond.  When  the 
"  London  "  went  down  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  Jan.  11, 1866, 
the  last  thing  which  the  last  man  who  left  the  ship 
heard  as  the  boat  pushed  off  from  the  doomed  vessel 
was  the  voices  of  the  passengers  singing  "  Rock  of 
Ages."  "  No  other  English  hymn  can  be  named  which 
has  laid  so  broad  and  firm  a  grasp  on  the  English- 
speaking  world." 


6  J  — BLESSED  LORD,  IN  THEE  IS  REFUGE. 

It  would  be  impossible  in  any  collection  of  hymns  that 
have  helped  to  ignore  the  hymnody  of  the  Salvation 
Army.  This  latest  birth  of  the  religious  sentiment  owes 
at  least  as  much  of  its  astonishing  success  to  its  hymns 
as  to  its  discipline.  It  has  converted  the  ordinary 
'Arry  and  'Arriett  first  of  all  into  Blood  and  Fire  Sol- 
diers, and  then  it  has<  set  them  writing  hymns.  No 
religious  denomination,  no  organisation  of  any  kind  has 
done  so  much  to  develop  the  verse-writing  instinct 
latent  in  most  men  as  the  Salvation  Army.  Every 
week  the  War  Cry  is  filled  with  new  hymns,  —  hymns 
of  all  kinds,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent.  They  have 
long  since  passed  the  fresh  and  sweet  simplicity  of  that 
most  characteristic  of  all  their  war  songs,  beginning, — 


142        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

"  The  devil  and  me,  We  can't  agree, 
I  hate  him,  and  he  hates  me," — 

than  which  nothing  could  possibly  be  more  concise  and 
graphic.  Of  the  bards  of  the  Army,  whose  name  is 
legion,  Mr.  Herbert  Booth  is  conspicuous  as  the  author 
of  a  hymn  which  is  worthily  and  deservedly  popular, 
although  it  is  nowhere  used  with  such  effect  as  in  the 
All-night  meetings,  when  the  line  "  Lord,  I  make  a  full 
surrender,"  is  sung  over  and  over  again  until  the  con- 
verts empty  their  pockets,  smash  their  pipes,  forswear 
finery,  and  find  abundant  compensation  for  their  sacri- 
fice in  the  ecstasy  of  their  religious  enthusiasm,  and 
the  comradeship  of  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Salvation 
Army.  The  Volunteers  of  America  find  this  hymn  one 
of  the  two  most  helpful  in  their  prison  work,  when  they 
employ  hymns  at  all.  Usually  the  convicts  like  only 
refrains  and  choruses  that  cling  to  their  memory  long 
after  the  Volunteer  visitors  have  left  them.  The  hymn 
is  as  follows  :  — 

BLESSED  Lord,  in  Thee  is  refuge, 
Safety  for  my  trembling  soul, 
Power  to  lift  my  head  when  drooping 
'Midst  the  angry  billows'  roll. 
I  will  trust  Thee,  All  my  life  Thou  shalt  control. 

In  the  past  too  unbelieving 

'Midst  the  tempest  I  have  been, 

And  my  heart  has  slowly  trusted 

What  my  eyes  have  never  seen. 
Blessed  Jesus,  Teach  me  on  Thy  arm  to  lean. 

Oh,  for  trust  that  brings  the  triumph 

When  defeat  seems  strangely  near! 

Oh,  for  faith  that  changes  fighting 

Into  victory's  ringing  cheer  — 
Faith  triumphant,  Knowing  not  defeat  or  fear  ! 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 43 

Welcome,  welcome,  dear  Redeemer  ! 
Welcome  to  this  heart  of  mine  ; 
Lord,  I  make  a  full  surrender  ; 

Every  power  and  thought  be  Thine  — 
Thine  entirely;  Through  eternal  ages  Thine. 

Known  to  all  to  be  Thy  mansion, 

Earth  and  hell  will  disappear; 
Or  in  vain  attempt  possession, 

When  they  find  the  Lord  is  there. 
Shout   salvation !  Shout,    ye   saints !    the    Lord   is 
here ! 

Tune  from  the  Salvation  Army  Hymn-Book. 

A  correspondent  in  Brentwood,  who  prefaced  his  re- 
marks by  saying,  "  I  am  not  a  Salvationist  a  la  Booth," 
writes :  "  Hymns  under  all  circumstances  have  been 
spiritual  meat  and  drink  to  me,  but  the  Salvation  Army 
songs  have  tapped  a  new  mine.  I  have  felt  like  an  old 
war-horse  hearing  the  trumpet  sound  at  mass  meetings. 
My  whole  being  has  been  stirred  by  the  power  and  in- 
tensity of  'these  wonderful  compositions.  The  hymn 
that  has  helped  me,  and  lifted  me  out  of  sloughs,  carried 
me  to  the  eternal  walls,  and  up  to  heaven's  gate,  is 
'  Blessed  Lord,  in  Thee  is  refuge.' " 

62— JUST  AS  I  AM. 

This  poem,  by  Charlotte  Elliott,  so  universally  known 
and  prized,  is  associated  indissolubly  by  many  with  the 
time  of  their  conversion.  Her  brother,  the  Rev.  H.  V. 
Elliott,  stated  :  "  In  the  course  of  a  long  ministry  I 
hope  I  have  been  permitted  to  see  some  fruit  of  my 
labours,  but  I  feel  far  more  has  been  done  by  a  single 
hymn  of  my  sister's."  There  is  no  language  or  land 
where  the  melody  of  this  hymn  is  not  heard.  It  was 
first  published  in  the  "  Invalid's  Hymn-Book  "  in  1836. 
To-day  it  is  the  most  familiar  formula  on  the  lips  of  the 


144       HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Christian  evangelist  in  all  quarters  of  the  world.     A 
word  fitly  spoken,  indeed  ! 

JUST  as  I  am,  without  one  plea, 
But  that  Thy  blood  was  shed  for  me, 
And  that  Thou  bidd'st  me  come  to  Thee, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am,  and  waiting  not 
To  rid  my  soul  of  one  dark  blot, 
To  Thee,  whose  blood  can  cleanse  each  spot, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am,  though  tossed  about 
With  many  a  conflict,  many  a  doubt, 
Fightings  and  fears  within,  without, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am,  poor,  wretched,  blind; 
Sight,  riches,  healing  of  the  mind, 
Yea,  all  I  need  in  Thee  to  find, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am,  Thou  wilt  receive, 
Wilt  welcome,  pardon,  cleanse,  relieve, 
Because  Thy  promise  I  believe, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am  (Thy  love  unknown 
Has  broken  every  barrier  down), 
Now  to  be  Thine,  yea,  Thine  alone, 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am,  of  that  free  love 
The  breadth,  length,  depth,  and  height  to  prove, 
Here  for  a  season,  then  above, 
O  Lamb  of  God,.  I  come  ! 

Tune  —  "  Gainsworth." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 45 


63  —  HARK,  MY  SOUL,  IT  IS  THE  LORD, 

This  poem  of  Cowper's,  Mr.  Gladstone  has  translated 
into  Latin. 

HARK,  my  soul !  it  is  the  Lord  ; 
'T  is  thy  Saviour,  hear  His  word ; 
Jesus  speaks,  and  speaks  to  thee: 
"  Say,  poor  sinner,  lov'st  thou  Me  ? 

"  I  delivered  thee  when  bound, 
And,  when  bleeding,  healed  thy  wound  ; 
Sought  thee  wandering,  set  thee  right, 
Turned  thy  darkness  into  light. 

"  Can  a  woman's  tender  care 
Cease  towards  the  child  she  bare  ? 
Yes,  she  may  forgetful  be, 
Yet  will  I  remember  thee. 

"  Mine  is  an  unchanging  love, 
Higher  than  the  heights  above  ; 
Deeper  than  the  depths  beneath, 
Free  and  faithful,  strong  as  death. 

"  Thou  shalt  see  My  glory  soon, 
When  the  work  of  grace  is  done  ; 
Partner  of  My  throne  shalt  be  : 
Say,  poor  sinner,  lov'st  thou  Me  ?  " 

Lord,  it  is  my  chief  complaint 
That  my  love  is  cold  and  faint, 
Yet  I  love  Thee  and  adore, 
O  for  grace  to  love  Thee  more  ! 

Tune— "St.  Bees.'! 

Archdeacon  Sinclair  mentions  this  as  one  of  the  two 
hymns  which  he  has  found  most  useful,  the  second 
being    Bishop    Ken's  "Evening  Hymn."     Archdeacon 

10 


146        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Sinclair  says  :  " '  Hark,  my  Soul '  is  the  most  beautiful 
of  all  English  hymns.  It  emphasises  what  is  the  essence 
of  the  Christian  faith,  —  the  appeal  of  Christ  to  the  in- 
dividual man.  It  describes  in  language  that  is  exqui- 
sitely simple  and  true  the  work  of  the  Saviour  for  the 
soul  in  redemption.  In  words  hardly  less  powerful 
than  those  of  St.  Paul,  it  brings  home  to  the  heart  the 
truth  that  He  who  speaks  to  us  through  the  Gospel  is 
the  fulness  of  Him  who  filleth  all  in  all,  and  then  it 
closes  by  bringing  the  poor  human  heart,  conscious  of 
its  own  feebleness,  into  its  true  attitude  of  absolute 
reliance  on  the  Divine  peace,  in  which  it  lives  and 
moves,  and  has  its  being." 

64— O  LOVE,  THAT  WILT  NOT  LET 

ME  GO. 

A  correspondent,  writing  from  Scotland,  pleads  for 
Dr.  Matheson's  hymn,  which  begins  with  "  O  Love,  that 
wilt  not  let  me  go,"  and  says  :  "  At  a  time  of  great  spir- 
itual darkness,  when  God,  Christ,  and  Heaven  seemed 
to  have  gone  out  of  my  life,  and  neither  sun  nor  stars 
in  many  days  appeared,  after  months  of  hopeless  misery 
of  mind,  1  heard  this  hymn  sung  in  a  little  country 
chapel.  The  first  two  lines  haunted  me  for  weeks,  and 
at  last  brought  light  and  comfort  to  my  dark  soul." 

A  Presbyterian  minister  says  :  "  More  than  any  other 
hymn  it  appeals  to  me,"  for  a  reason  altogether  differ- 
ent from  that  of  the  previous  correspondent.  "  Amongst 
students  of  philosophy  Hegel  is  always  gaining  appre- 
ciation.    This  hymn  is  Hegelianism  in  verse." 

OLOVE,  that  wilt  not  let  me  go, 
I  rest  my  weary  soul  on  Thee ; 
I  give  Thee  back  the  life  I  owe, 
That  in  Thine  ocean  depth  its  flow 
May  richer,  fuller  be. 

O  Light,  that  followest  all  my  way, 
I  yield  my  flickering  torch  to  Thee ; 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 47 

My  heart  restores  its  borrowed  ray, 
That  in  Thy  sunshine's  blaze  its  clay 
May  brighter,  fairer  be. 

0  Joy,  that  seekest  me  through  pain, 
I  cannot  close  my  heart  to  Thee ; 

1  trace  the  rainbow  through  the  rain, 
And  feel  the  promise  is  not  vain, 

That  morn  shall  fearless  be. 

0  Cross,  that  liftest  up  my  head, 

I  dare  not  ask  to  fly  from  Thee ; 

1  lay  in  dust  life's  glory  dead, 

And  from  the  ground  there  blossoms  red 
Life  that  shall  endless  be. 

Tune — "St.  Margaret." 


65  — WHEN  I  SURVEY  THE  WONDROUS 

CROSS, 

This  is  one  of  the  four  hymns  which  stand  at  the  head 
of  all  hymns  in  the  English  language.  Here  is  the 
hymn  as  Dr.  Watts  wrote  it :  — 

WHEN  I  survey  the  wondrous  Cross, 
On  which  the  Prince  of  glory  died, 
My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss, 
And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride. 

Forbid  it,  Lord,  that  I  should  boast, 
Save  in  the  Cross  of  Christ  my  God ; 
All  the  vain  things  that  charm  me  most, 
I  sacrifice  them  to  His  blood. 

See  from  His  Head,  His  Hands,  His  Feet, 
Sorrow  and  love  flow  mingled  down ; 
Did  e'er  such  love  and  sorrow  meet, 
Or  thorns  compose  so  rich  a  crown? 


148        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

His  dying  crimson,  like  a  robe, 
Spreads  o'er  His  body  on  the  tree ; 
Then  am  I  dead  to  all  the  world, 
And  all  the  world  is  dead  to  me ! 

Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  a  present  far  too  small ; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  Divine, 
Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all. 

Tune  —  "  Rockingham." 

This  is  said  to  be  Watts's  finest  hymn.  Julian  puts 
it  as  one  of  the  four  which,  for  popular  use,  stand  at  the 
head  of  all  other  English  hymns,  the  other  three  being 
Ken's  "  Morning  Hymn,"  "  Hark,  the  Herald  Angels," 
and  "  Rock  of  Ages."  Mrs.  Evans,  the  original  of 
George  Eliot's  Dinah  in  "  Adam  Bede,"  quoted  the 
third  verse  when  dying.  Father  Ignatius,  when  preach- 
ing at  the  Church  of  St.  Edmund  the  King,  Lombard 
Street,  slowly  repeated  the  last  line  after  the  congrega- 
tion had  sung  it,  and  added,  "  Well,  I  am  surprised  to 
hear  you  sing  that.  Do  you  know  that  altogether  you 
only  put  fifteen  shillings  into  the  bag  this  morning  ? " 

66  — THERE  IS  A  FOUNTAIN  FILLED 
WITH  BLOOD. 

THERE  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood, 
Drawn  from  Immanuers  veins; 
And  sinners  plunged  beneath  that  flood 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains. 

The  dying  thief  rejoiced  to  see 

That  fountain  in  his  day; 
And  there  may  I,  though  vile  as  he, 

Wash  all  my  sins  away. 

Dear  dying  Lamb,  Thy  precious  blood 
Shall  never  lose  its  power, 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED.        149 


Till  the  whole  ransomed  church  of  God 
Be  saved,  to  sin  no  more. 

E'er  since,  by  faith,  I  saw  the  stream 

Thy  flowing  wounds  supply, 
Redeeming  love  has  been  my  theme, 

And  shall  be  till  I  die. 

Then  in  a  nobler,  sweeter  song, 

I  '11  sing  Thy  power  to  save ; 
When  this  poor  lisping,  stammering  tongue 

Lies  silent  in  the  grave. 

Tune  —  "Wiltshire"  or  "  Horsley." 

"This  hymn,"  writes  a  correspondent,  "was  one 
which  first  opened  my  eyes  to  the  need  of  a  Saviour, 
and  brought  me  also  to  the  Christ.  I  have  seen  a 
thousand  hard  hearts  broken  down  by  the  singing  of 
the  hymn  and  the  realising  of  that  picture." 

Rev.  James  Spurgeon  writes :  "  This  hymn  has 
spoken  to  my  heart  as  no  other  hymn  has  done.  The 
revival  chorus, 

I  do  believe,  I  will  believe, 

That  Jesus  died  for  me, 
And  by  His  blood,  His  precious  blood, 

From  sin  has  set  me  free, 

should  be  added  to  this  hymn." 

Cowper's  famous  hymn  has  been  fiercely  assailed. 
"This  hymn,"  says  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  editor  of  the 
Daily  Telegraph  and  author  of  "  The  Light  of  Asia,"  is 
absolutely  shocking  to  my  mind."  Thousands  of  sensi- 
tive minds  in  the  United  States  reject  words  so  revolt- 
ing. Mr.  Bird,  of  Glasgow,  denounced  it  fiercely  as 
"  the  language  of  the  shambles." 

But,  as  Mr.  Price  Hughes  wrote  me  sententiously, 
"  if  it  has  been  much  criticised  it  has  been  much 
blessed."  All  the  animadversions  of  Matthew  Arnold, 
for  instance,  are  as  the  lightest  dust  of  the  balance 
compared  with   the  fact   of  the    marvellous  influence 


I50        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

which  the  singing  of  this  hymn  has  had  in  softening 
the  heart  of  man  upon  such  occasions  of  spiritual 
quickening  as  are  known  as  the  great  Irish  Revivals. 
It  has  been  the  means  of  changing  the  lives  of  more 
men  than  all  those  wrho  have  ever  "heard  the  name  of 
most  of  its  critics,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  it  has 
forced  its  way  by  sheer  influence  of  spiritual  power  into 
such  hymnals  as  "  Ancient  and  Modern "  and  the 
Methodist  collection,  from  which  it  had  been  jealously 
excluded,  in  the  one  case  till  1889,  and  in  the  other 
till  1876. 


67  —  GRACIOUS  SPIRIT,  HOLY  GHOST, 

This  paraphrase  of  1  Cor.  xiii.,  by  Bishop  Words- 
worth of  Lincoln  was  first  published  in  1862.  Unita- 
rians sing  a  version  beginning  "  Mighty  Spirit,  Gracious 
Guide." 

GRACIOUS  Spirit,  Holy  Ghost, 
Taught  by  Thee,  we  covet  most 
Of  Thy  gifts  at  Pentecost, 
Holy,  heavenly  love. 

Faith  that  mountains  could  remove, 
Tongues  of  earth  or  heaven  above, 
Knowledge  —  all  things  —  empty  prove 
Without  Heavenly  Love. 

Though  I  as  a  martyr  bleed, 
Give  my  goods  the  poor  to  feed, 
All  is  vain,  if  love  I  need ; 
Therefore  give  me  love. 

Love  is  kind,  and  suffers  long, 
Love  is  meek,  and  thinks  no  wrong, 
Love  than  death  itself  more  strong; 
Therefore  give  us  love. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.   1 5  I 


Prophecy  will  fade  away, 
Melting  in  the  light  of  day  ; 
Love  will  ever  with  us  stay ; 
Therefore  give  us  love. 

Faith  will  vanish  into  sight ; 
Hope  be  emptied  in  delight ; 
Love  in  Heav'n  will  shine  more  bright : 
Therefore  give  us  love. 

Faith  and  hope  and  love  we  see 
Joining  hand  in  hand  agree. 
But  the  greatest  of  the  three, 
And  the  best  is  love. 

From  the  overshadowing 
Of  Thy  gold  and  silver  wing, 
Shed  on  us,  who  to  Thee  sing, 
Holy,  heavenly  love.     Amen. 

Tune —  "  Charity." 

68—  JESU,  LOVER  OF  MY  SOUL. 

This  is  Charles  Wesley's  masterpiece.  "  I  would 
rather  have  written  this  hymn,"  says  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  "  than  to  have  the  fame  of  all  the  kings  that 
ever  sat  on  the  earth.  .  .  .  That  hymn  will  go  on  sing- 
ing until  the  last  trump  brings  forth  the  angel-band  ;  and 
then,  I  think,  it  will  mount  up  on  some  lip  to  the  very 
presence  of  God." 

ESU  !  Lover  of  my  soul, 
Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly, 
While  the  nearer  waters  roll, 

While  the  tempest  still  is  high  ; 
Hide  me,  O  my  Saviour,  hide, 

Till  the  storm  of  life  is  past ; 
Safe  into  the  haven  guide  : 

O  receive  my  soul  at  last! 


J 


152        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

Other  refug2  have  I  none; 

Hangs  my  helpless  soul  on  Thee; 
Leave,  ah !  leave  me  not  alone, 

Still  support  and  comfort  me. 
All  my  trust  on  Thee  is  stayed ; 

All  my  help  from  Thee  I  bring; 
Cover  my  defenceless  head 

With  the  shadow  of  Thy  wing. 

Wilt  Thou  not  regard  my  call  ? 

Wilt  Thou  not  accept  my  prayer  ? 
Lo !   I  sink,  I  faint,  I  fall,  ' 

Lo  !  on  Thee  I  cast  my  care, 
Reach  me  out  Thy  gracious  hand  ! 

While  I  of  Thy  strength  receive, 
Hoping  against  hope  I  stand, 

Dying,  and  behold  I  live ! 

Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  I  want ; 

More  than  all  in  Thee  I  find; 
Raise  the  fallen,  cheer  the  faint, 

Heal  the  sick  and  lead  the  blind. 
Just  and  Holy  is  Thy  name ; 

I  am  all  unrighteousness  : 
False  and  full  of  sin  I  am ; 

Thou  art  full  of  truth  and  srrace. 


&>' 


Plenteous  grace  with  Thee  is  found, 

Grace  to  cover  all  my  sin  ; 
Let  the  healing  streams  abound,  . 

Make  and  keep  me  pure  within. 
Thou  of  life  the  fountain  art, 

Freely  let  me  take  of  Thee  ; 
Spring  Thou  up  within  my  heart, 

Rise,  to  all  eternity. 

Tune  —  "  Hollingside." 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.   1 53 

Round  this  hymn  are  gathering  the  delightful  tra- 
ditions which  convert  the  driest  facts  into  fascinating 
fairy  tales.  There  is  no  end  to  the  stories  which  good 
Methodists  will  tell  you  as  to  how  this  hymn  has  helped 
poor  mortals  in  the  hour  and  article  of  death.  Ship- 
wrecked captains  read  it  before  they  perish  in  the  deep. 
A  mother  and  child  lashed  upon  a  spar  float  down  the 
Channel,  the  poor  woman  lifts  her  feeble  voice  singing 
this  hymn,  and  she  is  rescued.  Passengers  on  board 
a  steamer  in  the  heart  of  a  thunderstorm  allay  panic 
and  prepare  for  death  amid  blinding  sheets  of  flame 
and  bursts  of  thunder  by  raising  the  familiar  tune.  Dr. 
Lyman  Beecher  dies  listening  to  the  first  two  lines  as 
they  were  read  to  him  by  his  wife.  It  is,  they  say,  the 
finest  heart  hymn  in  the  English  language.  As  befits  a 
poem  so  freely  incrusted  with  traditions,  it  has  a  suit- 
able legendary  origin.  It  is  said  that  "  Charles  Wes- 
ley was  sitting  at  his  desk  when  a  bird  pursued  by  a 
hawk  flew  into  the  open  window.  The  baffled  hawk 
did  not  dare  to  follow,  and  the  poet  took  his  pen  and 
wrote  this  immortal  song." 

69  — OUR  BLEST  REDEEMER,  ERE  HE 
BREATHED. 

This  hymn  by  Harriet  Auber  dates  from  1829.  It  is 
very  popular,  and  has  been  translated  into  many 
languages. 

OUR  Blest  Redeemer,  ere  He  breathed 
His  tender  last  farewell, 
A  Guide,  a  Comforter,  bequeath'd 
With  us  to  dwell. 

He  came  in  semblance  of  a  dove, 
With  sheltering  wings  outspread, 

The  holy  balm  of  peace  and  love 
On  each  to  shed. 


154       HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


He  came  in  tongues  of  living  fire 

To  teach,  convince,  subdue; 
All  powerful  as  the  wind  He  came  — 

As  viewless  too. 

He  came  sweet  influence  to  impart, 

A  gracious,  willing  Guest, 
While  He  can  find  one  humble  heart 

Wherein  to  rest. 

And  His  that  gentle  voice  we  hear, 

Soft  as  the  breath  of  even, 
That  checks  each  fault,  that  calms  each  fear, 

And  speaks  of  Heaven. 

And  every  virtue  we  possess, 

And  every  conquest  won, 
And  every  thought  of  holiness, 

Are  His  alone. 

Spirit  of  purity  and  grace, 
Our  weakness  pitying  see  ; 

0  make  our  hearts  Thy  dwelling  place, 
And  meet  for  Thee. 

Tune—  "St.  Cuthbert." 

70  — COME,  O  THOU  TRAVELLER 

UNKNOWN. 

COME,  O  Thou  Traveller  unknown, 
Whom  still  I  hold  but  cannot  see ; 
My  company  before  is  gone, 

And  I  am  left  alone  with  Thee ; 
With  Thee  all  night  I  mean  to  stay, 
And  wrestle  till  the  break  of  day. 

1  need  not  tell  Thee  who  I  am, 
My  misery  or  sin  declare ; 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        1 55 

Thyself  hast  called  me  by  my  name ; 

Look  on  Thy  hands  and  read  it  there; 
But  who,  I  ask  Thee,  who  art  Thou  ? 
Tell  me  Thy  name,  and  tell  me  now. 

In  vain  Thou  strugglest  to  get  free, 

I  never  will  unloose  my  hold : 
Art  Thou  the  Man  that  died  for  me? 

The  secret  of  Thy  love  unfold : 
Wrestling,  I  will  not  let  Thee  go, 
Till  I  Thy  name,  Thy  nature  know. 

What  though  my  shrinking  flesh  complain, 
And  murmur  to  contend  so  long, 

I  rise  superior  to  my  pain ; 

When  I  am  weak  then  I  am  strong; 

And  when  my  all  of  strength  shall  fail, 

I  shall  with  the  God-man  prevail. 

Yield  to  me  now,  for  I  am  weak, 

But  confident  in  self -despair ; 
Speak  to  my  heart,  in  blessings  speak; 

Be  conquered  by  my  instant  prayer ! 
Speak,  or  Thou  never  hence  shalt  move, 
And  tell  me,  if  Thy  name  is  Love? 

'T  is  Love !  't  is  Love  !     Thou  diedst  for  me  1 
I  hear  Thy  whisper  in  my  heart ; 

The  morning  breaks,  the  shadows  flee ; 
Pure,  universal  Love  Thou  art ; 

To  me,  to  all,  Thy  mercies  move ; 

Thy  nature  and  Thy  name  is  Love. 

Tune  —  "  Peniel." 

"  Of  equal  poetic  value  to  Xavier's  hymn,"  wrote  Mr. 
Massingham,  the  editor  of  the  Daily  Chronicle,  "  is 
Charles  Wesley's  extraordinary  poem,  which,  though  it 


156        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

is  sung  as  a  hymn,  is  rather  a  mystical  rhapsody,  full  of 
colour  and  imagination,  beginning  — 

1  Come,  O  thou  traveller  unknown, 
Whom  still  I  hold  but  cannot  see.'  " 

Mr.  Moncure  D.  Conway  says  :  "  I  can  remember  in 
my  old  Methodist  days  how  much  (as  doubts  grew)  I 
was  helped  by  Charles  Wesley's  hymn,  '  Come,  O  Thou 
Traveller  Unknown.'" 

Mr.  Price  Hughes  declares  it  is  one  of  Wesley's 
greatest  hymns,  and  recalls  the  fact  that  it  was  quoted 
with  great  effect  by  Dean  Stanley  when  he  unveiled 
Wesley's  memorial  in  Westminster  Abbey.  Dr.  Watts 
said  that  this  hymn  was  "  worth  all  the  verses  he  him- 
self had  ever  written." 


DC.  —  Consecration. 

7J—  XAVIER'S  HYMN. 

One  of  the  best  hymns  in  the  world  is  that  written  by 
the  Jesuit  missionary,  Francis  Xavier,  who  died,  worn 
out  by  his  heroic  labours,  near  Canton,  in  1522.  It  is 
found  in  most  Protestant  hymn-books,  and  is  part  of 
the  spiritual  treasure  of  many  a  good  soul  blissfully 
unaware  that  its  author  was  a  Jesuit,  and  a  very  prince 
among  the  Brotherhood.  But  that  is  one  of  the 
blessed  characteristics  of  hymns.  The  service  of 
praise,  as  Beecher  long  ago  remarked,  is  the  one 
branch  of  Christianity  where  schisms  have  not  dis- 
turbed the  unity  of  the  Catholic  Church.  I  print 
Xavier's  hymn  in  the  original  Latin,  and  in  C  as  wall's 
English  translation. 

MY  God,  I  love  Thee ;  not  because 
I  hope  for  heaven  thereby, 
Nor  yet  because  who  love  Thee  not 
Are  lost  eternally. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Thou,  O  my  Jesus,  Thou  didst  me 

Upon  the  cross  embrace ; 
F'or  me  didst  bear  the  nails  and  spear, 

And  manifold  disgrace; 

And  griefs  and  torments  numberless, 

And  sweat  of  agony,  — 
Yea,  death  itself;  and  all  for  me, 

Who  was  Thine  enemy. 

Then  why,  O  blessed  Jesus  Christ, 
Should  I  not  love  Thee  well  ? 

Not  for  the  sake  of  winning  heaven, 
Nor  of  escaping  hell. 

Not  from  the  hope  of  gaining  aught, 

Not  seeking  a  reward  ; 
But  as  Thyself  hast  loved  me, 

O  ever-loving  Lord ! 

So  would  I  love  Thee,  dearest  Lord, 
And  in  Thy  praise  will  sing; 

Solely  because  Thou  art  my  God, 
And  my  most  loving  King. 


157 


ODEUS,  ego  amo  Te  ; 
Nee  amo  Te  ut  salves  me, 
Aut  quia  non  amantes  Te 
Aeterno  punis  igne. 

Tu,  Tu,  mi  Iesu,  totum  me 

Amplexus  es  in  cruce  ; 
Tulisti  clavos,  lanceam, 
Multamque  ignominiam, 

Innumeros  dolores, 

Sudores  et  angores, 
Ac  mortem,  et  haec  propter  me, 

Ac  pro  me,  peccatore. 


158   HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Cur  igitur  non  amem  Te, 
O  Iesu  amantissime  ? 
Non  ut  in  coelo  salves  me, 
Aut  ne  aeternum  damnes  me, 
Nee  praemii  ullius  spe, 
Sed  sicut  Tu  amasti  me, 
Sic  amo  et  amabo  Te, 
Solum  quia  Rex  meus  es, 
Et  solum  quia  Deus  es. 

Tune — "St.  Francis  Xavier." 

72 -NEARER,  MY  GOD,  TO  THEE. 

This  is  the  favourite  hymn  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
When  I  wrote  round  to  many  well-known  people  ask- 
ing them  which  hymn  helped  them  most,  I  received  the 
following  reply  from  the  Prince  :  — 

Sandringham,  Norfolk, 

December  29th,  1895. 

Dear  Mr.  Stead,  —  The  Prince  of  Wales  desires 
me  to  thank  you  for  your  letter,  and  to  say  that  he 
fully  appreciates  the  compliment  you  pay  him  when 
you  ask  him  to  assist  you  in  your  proposed  work.  His 
Royal  Highness  would  have  gladly  lent  his  aid  if  it  had 
been  in  his  power,  but  he  fears  that  an  opportunity  for 
doing  so  will  hardly  be  given  him.  He  directs  me  to 
mention  that  among  serious  hymns  he  thinks  there  is 
none  more  touching  nor  one  that  goes  more  truly  to 
the  heart  than  No.  7  on  your  list :  "  Nearer,  my  God, 
to  Thee."  —  Believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

Francis  Knollys. 

The  selection  is  interesting  on  many  grounds. 
"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee  "  was  written  by  a  woman, 
that  woman  a  Unitarian,  and  that  Unitarian  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  couple  who  first  met  in  Newgate  Gaol,  where 
her  father  had  been  sent  to  lie  for  six  months  as  atone- 
ment for  the  heinous  crime  of  defending  the  French 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    1 59 


Revolution  and  criticising  the  political  conduct  of  a  cer- 
tain Bishop  Watson,  now  fortunately  forgotten.  Per- 
haps the  sole  permanent  result  and  chief  end  of  this 
Bishop  Watson's  life  was  to  contribute  remotely  and  un- 
intentionally to  the  production  of  this  hymn.  He  was 
a  not  unimportant  link  in  the  chain  of  circumstances  of 
which  this  hymn,  with  its  far-reaching  influence,  is  but 
the  latest  outcome.  For  instance,  if  Mr.  Flower  —  Mrs. 
Adams's  maiden  name  was  Flower  —  had  not  been 
moved  to  indignation  by  the  turpitude  of  Bishop 
Watson's  political  conduct,  he  would  never,  even  in 
1789,  have  been  fined  ^100  and  sent  to  Newgate  for  six 
months.  If  he  had  never  been  sent  to  gaol,  Miss  Eliza 
Gould  would  never  have  been  prompted  to  visit  him 
there,  and  so  lay  the  foundation  of  an  acquaintance 
which  ripened  into  love  and  marriage.  Of  that  marriage 
Mrs.  Adams  was  the  fruit.  If  her  parents  had  never  met, 
of  course  she  would  never  have  been  born,  and  this  hymn 
never  would  have  been  written.  Therefore  may  we  not 
say  that  the  causa  causans  of  one  of  the  most  touching 
hymns  in  the  Christian  hymnal  was  some  long-ago-for- 
gotten political  offence  perpetrated  by  an  Anglican 
Bishop.  Here  is  the  hymn  as  Mrs.  Adams  wrote  it,  un- 
tinkered  by  jealous  Trinitarians  who  feel  twinges  of 
conscience  at  the  thought  of  deriving  spiritual  benefit 
from  a  Unitarian  hymn. 

NEARER,  my  God,  to  Thee, 
Nearer  to  Thee ! 
E'en  though  it  be  a  cross 

That  raiseth  me, 
Still  all  my  song  shall  be, 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,  — 
Nearer  to  Thee  I 

Though,  like  the  wanderer, 

Daylight  all  gone, 
Darkness  be  over  me, 

My  rest  a  stone  : 


l6o        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Yet  in  my  dreams  I  'd  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,  — 
Nearer  to  Thee  ! 

There  let  the  way  appear 

Steps  unto  heaven ; 
All  that  Thou  send'st  to  me, 

In  mercy  given ; 
Angels  to  beckon  me 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,  — 

Nearer  to  Thee ! 

Then  with  my  waking  thoughts 

Bright  with  Thy  praise, 
Out  of  my  stony  griefs 

Bethel  I  'II  raise  : 
So  by  my  woes  to  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,  — 

Nearer  to  Thee ! 

Or  if  on  joyful  wing, 

Cleaving  the  sky, 
Sun,  moon,  and  stars  forgot, 

Upward  I  fly  ; 
Still,  still,  my  song  shall  be, 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,  — 

Nearer  to  Thee  ! 

Tune  —  "  Horbury." 

The  hymn  is  as  dear  to  the  peasant  as  it  is  to  the 
prince.  Bishop  Marvin,  wandering  homeless  in  Arkan- 
sas during  the  war,  and  almost  inclined  to  despair, 
found  himself  marvellously  cheered  and  reproved  when 
in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness  he  overheard  a  widowed 
old  woman  singing,  "  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee  "  in  the 
midst  of  a  dilapidated  log  cabin.  Her  wretched  pov- 
erty was  forgotten  as  she  sang. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        l6l 

Another  story  of  the  American  Civil  War  tells  how 
a  little  drummer  boy,  whose  arm  had  been  shot  off  at 
the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  died  on  the  battlefield 
singing  with  his  last  breath,  "  Nearer,  my  God,  to 
Thee."  It  might  fairly  be  called  the  most  popular 
hymn  among  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  in 
America. 

73— TAKE  MY  LIFE,  AND  LET  IT  BE. 

After  the  Jesuit  and  the  Unitarian  comes  the  devout 
Churchwoman.  Miss  Havergal's  hymn  is  not  unworthy 
of  its  predecessors. 

TAKE  my  life,  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee. 
Take  my  moments  and  my  days, 
Let  them  flow  in  ceaseless  praise. 

Take  my  hands  and  let  them  move 
At  the  impulse  of  Thy  love. 
Take  my  feet  and  let  them  be 
Swift  and  beautiful  for  Thee. 

Take  my  voice,  and  let  me  sing 
Always,  only,  for  my  King. 
Take  my  lips,  and  let  them  be, 
Filled  with  messages  from  Thee. 

Take  my  silver  and  my  gold, 
Not  a  mite  would  I  withhold. 
Take  my  intellect  and  use 
Every  power  as  Thou  dost  choose. 

Take  my  will  and  make  it  Thine  ; 
It  shall  be  no  longer  mine. 
Take  my  heart,  it  is  Thine  own  ; 
It  shall  be  Thy  royal  throne. 
ii 


l62        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Take  my  love  :  my  Lord,  I  pour 
At  Thy  feet  its  treasure-store. 
Take  myself,  and  I  will  be 
Ever,  only,  all  for  Thee  ! 

Tune  — "St.  Bees." 

This  hymn  bubbled  up  from  the  depths  of  a  thankful 
heart.  Miss  Havergal  tells  the  story  of  how  it  came  to 
be  written  :  — 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be  interested  to  know  the  origin  of 
the  consecration  hymn,  'Take  my  life.'  I  went  for  a 
little  visit  of  five  days.  There  were  ten  persons  in  the 
house,  some  unconverted  and  long  prayed  for,  some 
converted,  but  not  rejoicing  Christians.  He  gave  me 
the  prayer,  '  Lord,  give  me  all  in  this  house  ! '  And  He 
just  did.  Before  I  left  the  house  every  one  had  got  a 
blessing.  The  last  night  of  my  visit  1  was  too  happy  to 
sleep,  and  passed  most  of  the  night  in  praise  and  renewal 
of  my  own  consecration,  and  these  little  couplets  formed 
themselves  and  chimed  in  my  heart,  one  after  another, 
till  they  finished  with  '  Ever,  only,  all  for  Thee.' " 

74  — O  FOR  A  HEART  TO  PRAISE  MY  GOD. 

Charles   Wesley's    hymn  is  in   unison   with   those 
which  precede  it. 

OFOR  a  heart  to  praise  my  God  ; 
A  heart  from  sin  set  free  ; 
A  heart  that 's  sprinkled  with  the  blood 
So  freely  shed  for  me. 

A  heart  resigned,  submissive,  meek, 

My  dear  Redeemer's  throne  : 
Where  only  Christ  is  heard  to  speak: 

Where  Jesus  reigns  alone. 

A  humble,  lowly,  contrite  heart, 
Believing,  true,  and  clean, 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


163 


Which  neither  life  nor  death  can  part 
From  Him  that  dwells  within. 

A  heart  in  every  thought  renewed, 

And  filled  with  love  divine ; 
Perfect  and  right,  and  pure  and  good ; 

A  copy,  Lord,  of  Thine. 

Thy  nature,  gracious  Lord,  impart, 

Come  quickly  from  above  : 
Write  Thy  new  name  upon  my  heart,  — 

Thy  new  best  name  of  Love. 

Tune  —  "Winchester  Old." 


75—0  GOD  OF  TRUTH. 

This  is  Tom  Hughes's  hymn,  which,  says  Mr.  Horder, 
"  seems  to  gather  up  and  embody  the  distinctive 
thoughts  and  feelings  which  animated  his  life.  It  was 
probably  suggested  by  Maurice's  sermon,  '  the  Word  of 
God  conquering  through  Sacrifice.'  " 

OGOD  of  Truth,  Whose  living  word 
Upholds  whate'er  hath  breath, 
Look  down  on  Thy  creation,  Lord, 
Enslaved  by  sin  and  death. 

Set  up  Thy  standard,  Lord,  that  they 

Who  claim  a  heavenly  birth 
May  march  with  Thee  to  smite  the  lies 

That  vex  Thy  ransom'd  earth. 

Ah  !  would  we  join  that  blest  array, 

And  follow  in  the  might 
Of  Him,  the  Faithful  and  the  True, 

In  raiment  clean  and  white  ? 

We  fight  for  truth,  we  fight  for  God, 
Poor  slaves  of  lies  and  sin, 


1 64       HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED. 

He  who  would  fight  for  Thee  on  Earth, 
Must  first  be  true  within. 

Then,  God  of  Truth,  for  Whom  we  long  — 
Thou  Who  wilt  hear  our  prayer  — 

Do  Thine  own  battle  in  our  hearts, 
And  slay  the  falsehood  there. 

Still  smite  !  still  burn  !  till  naught  is  left 

But  God's  own  truth  and  love  ; 
Then,  Lord,  as  morning  dew  come  down, 

Rest  on  us  from  above. 

Yea,  come  !  then,  tried  as  in  the  fire, 

From  every  lie  set  free, 
Thy  perfect  truth  shall  dwell  in  us, 

And  we  shall  live  in  Thee.  Amen. 

Tune  —  "  Tallis." 

76— O  FOR  A  CLOSER  WALK  WITH  GOD. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  tender,  and  popu- 
lar of  all  Cowper's  hymns."  —  Julian's  "  Dictionary  of 
Hymnology." 

OFOR  a  closer  walk  with  God! 
A  calm  and  heavenly  frame; 
A  light  to  shine  upon  the  road 
That  leads  me  to  the  Lamb ! 

Where  is  the  blessedness  I  knew 

When  first  I  saw  the  Lord  ? 
Where  is  the  soul-refreshing  view 

Of  Jesus  and  His  word  ? 

What  peaceful  hours  I  once  enjoyed  1 

How  sweet  their  memory  still ! 
But  they  have  left  an  aching  void 

The  world  can  never  fill. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        l6$ 

Return,  O  holy  Dove,  return  ! 

Sweet  messenger  of  rest ; 
I  hate  the  sins  that  made  Thee  mourn, 

And  drove  Thee  from  my  breast : 

The  dearest  idol  I  have  known, 

Whate'er  that  idol  be, 
Help  me  to  tear  it  from  Thy  throne, 

And  worship  only  Thee. 

So  shall  my  walk  be  close  with  God, 

Calm  and  serene  my  frame  : 
So  purer  light  shall  mark  the  road 

That  leads  me  to  the  Lamb. 

Tune  —  "  Martyrdom." 

77  — O  JESUS,  I  HAVE  PROMISED. 

This  is  a  popular  Confirmation  hymn,  which  was  con- 
tributed by  the  late  Rev.  J.  E.  Bode  in  1869  to  the 
"  Psalms  and  Hymns,"  published  by  the  Society  for 
Promoting  Christian  Knowledge. 

O  JESUS,  I  have  promised 
To  serve  Thee  to  the  end  ; 
Be  Thou  for  ever  near  me, 

My  Master  and  my  PViend ; 
I  shall  not  fear  the  battle 
If  Thou  art  by  my  side, 
Nor  wander  from  the  pathway 
If  Thou  wilt  be  my  Guide. 

0  let  me  feel  Thee  near  me  : 
The  world  is  ever  near  ; 

1  see  the  sights  that  dazzle, 
The  tempting  sounds  I  hear. 

My  foes  are  ever  near  me, 
Around  me  and  within  ; 


1 66        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

But,  Jesus,  draw  Thou  nearer, 
And  shield  my  soul  from  sin. 

O  let  me  hear  Thee  speaking 

In  accents  clear  and  still, 
Above  the  storms  of  passion, 

The  murmurs  of  self-will : 
O  speak  to  re-assure  me, 

To  hasten  or  control ; 
O  speak,  and  make  me  listen, 

Thou  Guardian  of  my  soul. 

O  Jesus,  Thou  hast  promised 

To  all  who  follow  Thee, 
That  where  Thou  art  in  glory 

There  shall  Thy  servant  be  ; 
And,  Jesus,  I  have  promised 

To  serve  Thee  to  the  end 
O  give  me  grace  to  follow, 

My  Master  and  my  Friend. 

O  let  me  see  Thy  foot-marks, 

And  in  them  plant  mine  own; 
My  hope  to  follow  duly 

Is  in  Thy  strength  alone  ; 
O  guide  me,  call  me,  draw  me, 

Uphold  me  to  the  end ; 
And  then  in  Heav'n  receive  me, 

My  Saviour  and  my  Friend.     Amen. 

Tune —  "  Day  of  Rest." 

78 -OH  TO  BE  -NOTHING,  NOTHING, 

This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  modern  hymns. 

A  lady  who  worked  among  the  girls  in  business 
houses  in  the  West  of  England  for  twelve  years,  said  : 
"  It  is  always  surprising  to  hear  and  discover  what  were 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


167 


the  hymns  which  seemed  to  help  the  girls  and  which  did 
not.  One  of  them  which  seemed  to  be  most  helpful 
was  this,  '  Oh  to  be  nothing,  nothing.'  "  The  authoress 
herself  writes  :  "  It  has  always  been  a  wonder  to  me 
why  that  helped  people  under  such  varied  circum- 
stances. Prof.  Rendell  Harris  has  often  told  me  how 
much  he  has  owed  to  that  hymn.  I  could  show  you, 
were  it  not  breaking  confidences,  a  sheaf  of  letters  giv- 
ing testimony  to  the  help  which  that  hymn  has  been 
to  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  and  women  —  Roman 
Catholics,  Unitarians,  High  Churchmen,  Dissenters  — 
under  all  kinds  of  circumstances."  It  has  been  trans- 
lated into  many  languages,  and  has  circulated  far  and 
wide,  meeting  everywhere  with  immense  acceptance. 

OH  to  be  nothing,  nothing! 
Only  to  lie  at  His  feet, 
A  broken  and  emptied  vessel, 

For  the  Master's  use  made  meet. 
Emptied  —  that  He  might  fill  me, 

As  forth  to  His  service  I  go ; 
Broken  —  that  so  unhindered 
His  life  through  me  might  flow. 

Oh  to  be  nothing,  nothing ! 

Only  as  led  by  His  hand  ; 
A  messenger  at  His  gateway, 

Only  waiting  for  His  command: 
Only  an  instrument  ready 

His  praises  to  sound  at  His  will ; 
Willing,  should  He  not  require  me, 

In  silence  to  wait  on  Him  still. 

Oh  to  be  nothing,  nothing  ! 

Painful  the  humbling  may  be, 
Yet  low  in  the  dust  I  'd  lay  me 

That  the  world  might  my  Saviour  see. 


1 68   HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Rather  be  nothing,  nothing  ! 

To  Him  let  our  voices  be  raised : 
He  is  the  Fountain  of  blessing, 

He  only  is  meet  to  be  praised. 

Tune  from  "  Songs  and  Solos." 


X.  —  The  Warfare  of  Life* 

79— ONWARD,  CHRISTIAN  SOLDIERS. 

The  Duke  of  Cambridge,  late  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  British  Army,  mentioned  this  processional  hymn  by 
the  Rev.  S.  Baring-Gould  as  his  favourite. 

ONWARD,  Christian  soldiers!  marching  as  to 
war, 
With  the  Cross  of  Jesus,  going  on  before. 
Christ,  the  Royal  Master,  leads  against  the  foe  ; 
Forward  into  battle  see  His  banners  go. 

Onward,  Christian  soldiers  !  marching  as  to  war, 
With  the  Cross  of  Jesus,  going  on  before. 

At  the  sign  of  triumph,  Satan's  host  doth  flee ; 
On  then,  Christian  soldiers,  on  to  victory  ! 
Hell's  foundations  quiver  at  the  shout  of  praise  : 
Brothers,  lift  your  voices,  loud  your  anthems  raise  ! 

Like  a  mighty  army  moves  the  church  of  God : 
Brothers,  we  are   treading  where  the  saints  have 

trod ; 
We  are  not  divided,  all  one  body  we  — 
One  in  hope  and  doctrine,  one  in  charity. 

Crowns   and   thrones   may  perish,  kingdoms  rise 

and  wane ; 
But  the  church  of  Jesus  constant  will  remain  ; 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


169 


Gates  of  hell  can  never  'gainst  that  church  prevail ; 
We  have  Christ's  own  promise  —  and  that  cannot 
fail. 

Onward  then,  ye  people,  join  our  happy  throng  ; 
Blend  with  ours  your  voices  in  the  triumph-song  : 
"  Glory,  laud,  and  honour,  unto  Christ  the  King"  — 
This  through  countless  ages  men  and  angels  sing. 

Tune  —  "St.  Gertrude." 


80  — OFT  IN  SORROW,  OFT  IN  WOE. 

Kirke  White's  marching  song  of  the  Christian  Life 
has  no  such  lilting  tune  attached  to  it  as  "  Onward, 
Christian  Soldiers,"  but  being  older  it  has  probably 
helped  more  souls  than  its  recent  rival. 

OFT  in  sorrow,  oft  in  woe, 
Onward,  Christians,  onward  go; 
Fisfht  the  fight,  maintain  the  strife, 
Strengthened  with  the  bread  of  life. 

Let  your  drooping  hearts  be  glad  ; 
March  in  heavenly  armour  clad; 
Fight,  nor  think  the  battle  long, 
Soon  shall  victory  tune  your  song. 

Let  not  sorrow  dim  vour  eve, 
Soon  shall  every  tear  be  dry; 
Let  not  fears  your  course  impede, 
Great  your  strength  if  great  your  need. 

Onward,  then,  to  glory  move, 
More  than  conquerors  ye  shall  prove  ; 
Though  opposed  by  many  a  foe, 
Christian  soldiers,  onward  go. 

Tune  —  "  Ephraim." 


I/O        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 


8 J— SOLDIERS  OF  CHRIST,  ARISE  I 

This  hymn  by  Charles  Wesley  is  inspiriting  as  the  blast 
of  the  bugle  :  — 

SOLDIERS  of  Christ,  arise  ! 
And  put  your  armour  on, 
Strong  in  the  strength  which  God  supplies 
Through  His  eternal  Son. 

Strong  in  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 

And  in  His  mighty  power  ; 
Who  in  the  strength  of  Jesus  trusts 

Is  more  than  conqueror. 

Stand  then  in  His  great  might, 

With  all  His  strength  endued ; 
And  take,  to  arm  you  for  the  fight, 

The  panoply  of  God. 

From  strength  to  strength  go  on  ; 

Wrestle,  and  fight,  and  pray; 
Tread  all  the  powers  of  darkness  down, 

And  win  the  well-fought  day; 

That  having  all  things  done, 

And  all  your  conflicts  past, 
Ye  may  o'ercome  through  Christ  alone, 

And  stand  complete  at  last. 

Tune  —  "  Gildas." 

82  —  CHRISTIAN !  SEEK  NOT  YET  REPOSE. 

Another    of    Charlotte    Elliott's    hymns   which    has 
achieved  no  little  popularity. 

CHRISTIAN  !  seek  not  yet  repose," 
Hear  thy  guardian  Angel  say  : 
Thou  art  in  the  midst  of  foes ; 
"  Watch  and  pray." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.         171 

Principalities  and  powers, 
Mustering  their  unseen  array, 
Wait  for  thy  unguarded  hours  : 
"Watch  and  pray." 

Gird  thy  heavenly  armour  on, 
Wear  it  ever  night  and  day  ; 
Ambush'd  lies  the  evil  one  ; 
"  Watch  and  pray." 

Hear  the  victors  who  o'ercame ; 
Still  they  mark  each  warrior's  way : 
All  with  one  sweet  voice  exclaim,' 
"Watch  and  pray." 

Hear,  above  all,  hear  thy  Lord, 
Him  thou  lovest  to  obey; 
Hide  within  thy  heart  His  Word, 
"Watch  and  pray." 

Watch,  as  if  on  that  alone 

Hung  the  issue  of  the  day; 

Pray  that  help  may  be  sent  down ; 

"Watch  and  pray."     Amen. 

Tune  —  "  Vigilante." 


83  — FORWARD!    BE  OUR  WATCHWORD. 

Dean    Alford's    processional    hymn   is   a   universal 
favourite. 

FORWARD  !  be  our  watchword, 
Steps  and  voices  joined  ; 
Seek  the  things  before  us, 

Not  a  look  behind ; 
Burns  the  fiery  pillar 
At  our  army's  head  ; 


1/2        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED, 

Who  shall  dream  of  shrinking, 

By  our  Captain  led  ? 
Forward  through  the  desert, 

Through  the  toil  and  right; 
Jordan  flows  before  us, 

Zion  beams  with  light. 

Forward,  flock  of  Jesus, 

Salt  of  all  the  earth, 
Till  each  yearning  purpose 

Spring  to  glorious  birth  : 
Sick,  they  ask  for  healing  ; 

Blind,  they  grope  for  day : 
Pour  upon  the  nations 

Wisdom's  loving  ray. 
Forward,  out  of  error  ; 

Leave  behind  the  night ; 
Forward  through  the  darkness, 

Forward  into  light. 

Glories  upon  glories 

Hath  our  God  prepared, 
By  the  souls  that  love  Him 

One  day  to  be  shared : 
Eye  hath  not  beheld  them, 

Ear  hath  never  heard  : 
Nor  of  these  hath  uttered 

Thought  or  speech  a  word  : 
Forward,  marching  eastward, 

Where  the  heaven  is  bright 
Till  the  veil  be  lifted, 

Till  our  faith  be  sight. 

Far  o'er  yon  horizon 

Rise  the  city  towers, 
Where  our  God  abideth  ; 

That  fair  home  is  ours. 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


173 


Flash  the  streets  with  jasper, 

Shine  the  gates  with  gold  ; 
Flows  the  gladdening  river, 

Shedding  joys  untold  ; 
Thither,  onward  thither, 

In  the  Spirit's  might: 
Pilgrims  to  your  country, 

Forward  into  light. 

To  the  Eternal  Father 

Loudest  anthems  raise; 
To  the  Son  and  Spirit 

Echo  songs  of  praise  ; 
To  the  Lord  of  Glory, 

Blessed  Three  in  One, 
Be  by  men  and  angels 

Endless  honours  done. 
Weak  are  earthly  praises, 

Dull  the  songs  of  night ; 
Forward  into  triumph, 


Forward  into  light. 


Tune 


St.  Boniface"  or  "St.  Gertrude." 


XL  —  Missions,  Home  and  Foreign* 

84  — FROM  GREENLAND'S  ICY  MOUNTAINS. 

This  hymn  was  written  by  Heber  at  short  notice  in 
1819.  Dean  Shipley  asked  him  one  Saturday  to  prepare 
some  verses  to  be  sung  at  the  missionary  service  to  be 
held  next  morning.  Heber  sat  down  and  dashed  off 
these  verses,  which  speedily  became  the  favourite  mis- 
sionary hymn  of  the  English-speaking  world. 

'ROM  Greenland's  icy  mountains, 
From  India's  coral  strand, 
Where  Afric's  sunny  fountains 
Roll  down  their  golden  sand, 


F1 


174        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

From  many  an  ancient  river, 
From  many  a  palmy  plain, 

They  call  us  to  deliver 

Their  land  from  error's  chain. 

What  though  the  spicy  breezes 

Blow  soft  o'er  Ceylon's  isle ; 
Though  every  prospect  pleases, 

And  only  man  is  vile  ; 
In  vain,  with  lavish  kindness, 

The  gifts  of  God  are  strown  ; 
The  heathen,  in  his  blindness, 

Bows  down  to  wood  and  stone. 

Can  we,  whose  souls  are  lighted 

With  wisdom  from  on  high,  — 
»        Can  we  to  men  benighted 

The  lamp  of  life  deny  ? 
Salvation  !  O  salvation  ! 

The  joyful  sound  proclaim, 
Till  each  remotest  nation 

Has  learned  Messiah's  name. 

Waft,  waft,  ye  winds,  His  story ; 

And  you,  ye  waters,  roll, 
Till,  like  a  sea  of  glory, 

It  spreads  from  pole  to  pole ; 
Till,  o'er  our  ransomed  nature, 

The  Lamb  for  sinners  slain, 
Redeemer,  King,  Creator, 

In  bliss  return  to  reign. 


Tune  —  "  Missionary." 


85— JESUS   SHALL   REIGN  WHERE'ER    THE 

SUN. 

After  "  From  Greenland's  icy  mountains,"  this  para- 
phrase by  Watts  of  part  of  Psalm  lxxii.  has  helped  the 


■ 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.         1 75 


missionary  cause  most.  It  is  at  once  a  psalm  and  a 
prophecy. 

JESUS  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 
Doth  his  successive  journeys  run  : 
His  kingdom  stretch  from  shore  to  shore, 
Till  moons  shall  wax  and  wane  no  more. 

For  Him  shall  endless  prayer  be  made, 
And  praises  throng  to  crown  His  head ; 
His  name  like  sweet  perfume  shall  rise 
With  every  morning  sacrifice. 

People  and  realms  of  every  tongue 
Dwell  on  His  love  with  sweetest  song  ; 
And  infant  voices  shall  proclaim 
Their  early  blessings  on  His  name. 

Blessings  abound  where'er  He  reigns  : 
The  prisoner  leaps  to  loose  his  chains ; 
The  weary  find  eternal  rest, 
And  all  the  sons  of  want  are  blest. 

Where  He  displays  His  healing  power, 
Death  and  the  curse  are  known  no  more ; 
In  Him  the  tribes  of  Adam  boast 
More  blessings  than  their  father  lost. 

Tune  —  "The  Old  Hundredth." 

When,  in  1862,  King  George,  one  of  the  converts  of 
the  English  missionaries  in  the  South  Sea  Islands,  sub- 
stituted a  Christian  for  a  Pagan  constitution  for  his 
country,  5,000  natives  who  were  gathered  at  the  cere- 
monial joined  as  with  one  voice  in  singing  this  hymn. 

86  — THERE  WERE  NINETY  AND  NINE. 

This  hymn,  although  first  popularised  by  Mr.  Sankey, 
was  written  by  Elizabeth  C.  Clephane  at  Melrose,  in  1868. 
Six  years  afterwards,  her  poem,  originally  contributed 


176       HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

to  the  Children's  Hour,  was  copied  into  the  Christian 
Age.  There  it  was  seen  by  Mr.  Sankey,  and  one  day, 
at  the  close  of  an  unusually  impressive  meeting  in 
Edinburgh,  Mr.  Sankey  put  the  hymn  verses  before 
him,  touched  the  keys  of  the  organ,  and  sang,  not 
knowing  where  he  was  going  to  come  out.  He  finished 
the  first  verse  amid  profound  silence.  He  took  a  long 
breath  and  wondered  if  he  could  sing  the  second  the 
same  way.  He  tried  it  and  succeeded.  After  that  it 
was  easy  to  sing  it.  When  he  finished  the  hymn  the 
meeting  was  all  "  broken  down."  Mr.  Sankey  says  it 
was  the  most  intense  moment  of  his  life. 

THERE  were  ninety  and  nine  that  safely  lay 
In  the  shelter  of  the  fold ; 
But  one  was  out  on  the  hills  away, 

Far  off  from  the  gates  of  gold. 
Away  on  the  mountains  wild  and  bare, 
Away  from  the  tender  Shepherd's  care. 

"  Lord,  Thou  hast  here  Thy  ninety  and  nine, 

Are  they  not  enough  for  Thee  ?  " 
But  the  Shepherd  made  answer,  "  This  of  Mine 

Has  wandered  away  from  Me; 
And  although  the  road  be  rough  and  steep, 
I  go  to  the  desert  to  find  My  sheep." 

But  none  of  the  ransomed  ever  knew 

How  deep  were  the  waters  crossed  ; 
Nor  how  dark  was  the  night  that  the  Lord  passed 
through, 

Ere  he  found  His  sheep  that  was  lost. 
Out  in  the  desert  He  heard  its  cry, 
Sick,  and  helpless,  and  ready  to  die. 

"  Lord,  whence  are  those  blood-drops  all  the  way, 
That  mark  out  the  mountain's  track?" 

"  They  were  shed  for  one  who  had  gone  astray 
Ere  the  Shepherd  could  bring  him  back." 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.   1 77 

"  Lord,  whence  are  Thy  hands  so  rent  and  torn  ?  " 
"They  are  pierced  to-night  by  many  a  thorn." 

But  all  through  the  mountains,  thunder-riven, 

And  up  from  the  rocky  steep, 
There  arose  a  cry  to  the  gate  of  heaven, 

"  Rejoice  !  I  have  found  my  sheep." 
And  the  angels  echoed  around  the  Throne, 
"Rejoice  !  for  the  Lord  brings  back  His  own." 

Tune  by  Ira  D.  Sankey. 

87— ALMOST  PERSUADED. 

The  sad,  wistful  wail  of  the  music  to  which  this  hymn 
was  set  has  made  it  an  instrument  of  power  to  many 
souls.  The  task  of  clinching  a  decision  almost  crystal- 
lised into  action  is  one  of  the  most  necessary  and  diffi- 
cult of  all  the  tasks  of  the  religious  teacher.  In  its 
performance,  such  hymns  as  this  have  proved  too  use- 
ful to  permit  their  exclusion  on  the  pedantic  ground 
that  they  are  not  addressed  to  the  Deity.  The  purists 
are  in  danger  of  provoking  a  reaction  which  will  result 
in  objections  being  taken  to  any  hymns  which  are  not 
directly  addressed  to  those  whose  course  may  be  altered 
by  touching  melody  or  sacred  song. 

"   A   LMOST  persuaded:  "  now  to  believe  ; 
l\     "  Almost  persuaded  "  Christ  to  receive  : 
Seems  now  some  soul  to  say  ?  — 
"  Go,  Spirit,  go  Thy  way  : 
Some  more  convenient  day 
On  Thee  I  Tl  call." 

"  Almost  persuaded  :  "  come,  come  to-day ! 
"Almost  persuaded:  "  turn  not  away  ! 
Jesus  invites  you  here, 
Angels  are  lingering  near, 
Prayers  rise  from  hearts  so  dear, 
O  wanderer,  come  ! 

12 


178        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

"  Almost  persuaded  :  "  harvest  is  past ! 
"  Almost  persuaded  :  "  doom  comes  at  last ! 
"  Almost  "  cannot  avail ; 
44  Almost  "  is  but  to  fail ; 
Sad,  sad,  that  bitter  wail  — 
"Almost"— to  lost  I 

Tune  by  Mr.  Bliss. 

88— TIME  IS  EARNEST. 

This  is  one  of  the  anonymous  hymns  of  the  world.  It 
belongs  to  the  hortative  class,  appealing  to  those  who 
sing  it  and  who  hear  it  sung.  It  first  appeared  in  1851, 
and  has  done  much  good. 

TIME  is  earnest,  passing  by ; 
Death  is  earnest,  drawing  nigh  : 
Sinner,  wilt  thou  trifling  be? 
Time  and  death  appeal  to  thee. 

Life  is  earnest ;  when  't  is  o'er, 
Thou  returnest  never  more. 
Soon  to  meet  eternity, 
Wilt  thou  never  serious  be  ? 

God  is  earnest :  kneel  and  pray, 
Ere  thy  season  pass  away ; 
Ere  He  set  His  judgment  throne; 
Ere  the  day  of  grace  be  gone. 

Christ  is  earnest,  bids  thee  come ; 
Paid  thy  spirit's  priceless  sum ; 
Wilt  thou  spurn  thy  Saviour's  love, 
Pleading  with  thee  from  above  ? 

O  be  earnest,  do  not  stay ; 
Thou  mayest  perish  e'en  to-day. 
Rise,  thou  lost  one,  rise  and  flee ; 
Lo !  thy  Saviour  waits  for  thee. 
Tune  —  "  Cyprus,"  also  called  "  Sherborne." 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED.         1 79 


89  — COME,  YE  SINNERS,  POOR  AND 
WRETCHED. 

Hymns,  say  some  purists,  ought  only  to  be  addressed 
to  God.  They  may  be  right  in  the  abstract,  but,  as  a 
practical  fact,  hymns  which  are  addressed  to  the  con- 
gregation are  often  most  useful.  Their  utility  can 
sometimes  be  measured,  which  is  impossible  in  the 
case  where  the  hymn  is  addressed  to  the  Deity.  One 
of  these  hymns  which  these  purists  would  drive  from 
the  hymn-book  still  retains  its  hold  on  the  Christian 
Church.  It  was  written  by  one  of  Whitfield's  converts 
named  Joseph  Hart,  who  is  still  so  far  from  being  for- 
gotten that  an  obelisk  was  erected  over  his  grave  in 
Bunhill  Fields  so  recently  as  1875.  ^  *s  m  great  use 
at  revival  services,  and  has  been  cut  about  extensively 
to  suit  the  views  of  the  different  gospellers. 

COME,  ye  sinners,  poor  and  wretched, 
Weak  and  wounded,  sick  and  sore, 
Jesus  ready  stands  to  save  you, 
Full  of  pity  joined  with  power ; 

He  is  able, 
He  is  willing:  doubt  no  more. 

Come,  ye  needy,  come  and  welcome, 

God's  free  bounty  glorify ; 
True  belief,  and  true  repentance, 

Every  grace  that  brings  us  nigh, 
Without  money, 

Come  to  Jesus  Christ  and  buy. 

Let  not  conscience  make  you  linger, 

Nor  of  fitness  fondly  dream  ; 
All  the  fitness  He  requireth, 

Is  to  feel  your  need  of  Him  : 
This  He  gives  you  ; 

'Tis  the  Spirit's  rising  beam. 


180        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Come,  ye  weary,  heavy  laden, 

Bruised  and  broken  by  the  fall ; 
If  you  tarry  till  you  're  better, 

You  will  never  come  at  all. 
Not  the  righteous, 

Sinners,  Jesus  came  to  call. 

Agonising  in  the  garden, 

Lo  !  your  Saviour  prostrate  lies  : 
On  the  bloody  tree  behold  Him ; 
Hear  Him  cry  before  He  dies,  — 

It  is  finished  ! 
Finished  the  great  sacrifice. 

Lo  !  the  Incarnate  God,  ascended, 

Pleads  the  merit  of  His  blood. 
Venture  on  Him,  venture  wholly, 

Let  no  other  trust  intrude  : 
None  but  Jesus 

Can  do  helpless  sinners  good. 

Saints  and  angels  joined  in  concert, 

Sing  the  praises  of  the  Lamb  : 
While  the  blissful  seats  of  heaven 
Sweetly  echo  with  His  name. 

Hallelujah  ! 
Sinners  here  may  sing  the  same. 

Tune  —  "  Communion." 


XII.  —  Joy,  Love,  and  Peace* 

90  — OUR  GOD,  OUR  HELP  IN  AGES  PAST. 

Mr.  Asquith,  late  Home  Secretary,  writes  :  "  My  fa- 
vourite among  hymns  is,  and  has  for  a  long  time  been, 
Watts's  '  Our  God,  our  Help  in  Ages  past.'  I  feel  sure 
that  your  collection  when  complete  will  be  both  inter- 
esting and  useful." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        l8l 


Watts  wrote  this  as  a  paraphrase  of  the  Ninetieth 
Psalm,  a  psalm  which,  as  Mr.  Marson  reminds  us,  has 
been  sung  or  read  over  the  graves  of  our  fathers  ever 
since  1662.  Burns  paraphrased  this  psalm  and  failed, 
although  he  delighted  in  it  greatly.  Charles  V.  used  to 
declare  he  preferred  this  to  all  other  psalms,  and  Car- 
dinal Newman  makes  Gerontius  hear  the  souls  in  pur- 
gatory singing  this  psalm.  The  first  four  verses  of  this 
psalm  form  the  burial-song  of  the  Russian  Church.  It 
was  chanted  as  a  dirge  at  the  funeral  of  John  Hampden. 

OUR  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 
Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 
Our  shelter  from  the  stormy  blast, 
And  our  eternal  home  ; 

Under  the  shadow  of  Thy  throne 
Thy  saints  have  dwelt  secure; 

Sufficient  is  Thine  arm  alone, 
And  our  defence  is  sure. 

Before  the  hills  in  order  stood, 
Or  earth  received  her  frame; 

From  everlasting  Thou  art  God, 
To  endless  years  the  same. 

A  thousand  ages  in  Thy  sight 

Are  like  an  evening  gone  ; 
Short  as  the  watch  that  ends  the  night 

Before  the  rising  sun. 

The  busy  tribes  of  flesh  and  blood, 
With  all  their  cares  and  fears, 

Are  carried  downwards  by  the  flood, 
And  lost  in  following  years. 

Time,  like  an  ever-rolling  stream, 

Bears  all  its  sons  away; 
They  fly,  forgotten,  as  a  dream 

Dies  at  the  opening  day. 


1 82        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 
Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 

Be  Thou  our  guard,  while  troubles  last 
And  our  eternal  home. 

Tune — "St.  Anne." 

The  Right  Hon.  Sir  Henry  Fowler  writes  to  me  : 
"  John  Bright  used  to  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  the 
grand  hymn,  '  Our  God,  our  Help  in  Ages  past.'  I  once 
told  Dr.  Liddon  that  Mr.  Bright  had  described  that 
hymn  as  the  best  in  the  language.  Dr.  Liddon  paused, 
and  then  said :  '  I  should  not  say  the  best,  but  one  of 
the  three  best.'"" 

9J— O  GOD  OF  BETHEL,  BY  WHOSE 

HAND. 

When  I  asked  the  Duke  of  Argyll  as  to  hymns  which 
had  helped  him,  he  made  the  following  reference  to 
Dr.  Doddridge's  well-known  paraphrase  :  — 

Inverary,  Argyllshire. 

Sir,  —  I  would  be  very  glad  to  help  you  if  I  could,  but 
I  can't  honestly  say  that  any  one  hymn  has  "  helped  " 
me  specially.  Some  of  the  Scotch  paraphrases  are  my 
favourites,  "  O  God  of  Bethel,"  etc. 

Yours  obediently,  Argyll, 

OGOD  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand 
Thy  people  still  are  fed ; 
Who  through  this  weary  pilgrimage 
Hast  all  our  fathers  led  ; 

Our  vows,  our  prayers,  we  now  present 

Before  Thy  throne  of  grace; 
God  of  our  fathers,  be  the  God 

Of  their  succeeding  race. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


183 


Through  each  perplexing  path  of  life 
Our  wandering  footsteps  guide  ; 

Give  us,  each  day,  our  daily  bread, 
And  raiment  fit  provide. 

O  spread  Thy  covering  wings  around, 
Till  all  our  wanderings  cease, 

And  at  our  Father's  loved  abode, 
Our  souls  arrive  in  peace. 

Such  blessings  from  Thy  gracious  hand 
Our  humble  prayers  implore  ; 

And  Thou  shalt  be  our  chosen  God 
And  portion,  evermore. 

Tune  —  "Farrant." 

Of  this  hymn  and  the  way  it  has  helped  men,  Mr.  S. 
R.  Crockett  writes  as  follows :  "  One  hymn  I  love,  and 
that  (to  be  Irish)  is  not  a  hymn,  but  what  in  our 
country  is  mystically  termed  a  '  paraphrase.'  It  is  that 
which,  when  sung  to  the  tune  of  St.  Paul's,  makes  men 
and  women  square  themselves  and  stand  erect  to  sing, 
like  an  army  that  goes  gladly  to  battle  :  — 

O  God  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand 

Thy  people  still  are  fed  : 
Who  through  this  weary  pilgrimage 

Hast  all  our  fathers  led. 

"I  wish  I  could  quote  it  all.  Of  course  it  is  in  vain 
to  try  to  tell  what  these  songs  of  '  Christ's  ain  Kirk 
and  Covenant'  are  to  us  who  sucked  them  in  with  our 
mother-milk,  and  heard  them  crooned  for  cradle  songs 
to  '  Coleshill  '  and  '  Kilmarnock.'  But  be  assured  that 
whatever  new  songs  are  written,  noble  and  sincere, 
there  will  always  be  a  number  who  will  walk  in  the  old 
paths,  and,  by  choice,  seek  for  their  'helping'  (about 
which  they  will  mostly  keep  silence)  from  the  songs 
their  fathers  sang." 

This  was  the  favourite  hymn  of  Dr.  Livingstone.  It 
cheered  him  often  in  his  African  wanderings,  and  when 


1 84       HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


his  remains  were  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey  it  was 
sung  over  his  grave. 

A  Scotch  mission-teacher  at  Kuruman,  Bechuana- 
land,  South  Africa,  writes  :  "  This  hymn  stands  out  pre- 
eminently as  the  hymn  which  has  helped  me  beyond 
all  others.  It  shines  with  radiant  lustre  like  the  star 
that  outshineth  all  others  among  the  midnight  constel- 
lations. It  has  been  my  solace  and  comfort  in  times  of 
trouble,  my  cheer  in  times  of  joy  ;  it  is  woven  into  the 
warp  and  woof  of  my  spiritual  being  ;  its  strains  were 
the  first  I  was  taught  to  lisp,  and,  God  helping  me,  they 
shall  be  the  last.  Sung  to  the  tune  of  '  Dundee,'  that 
was  the  refrain  of  happy  meetings  or  sad  partings.  Its 
strains  rang  out  the  Old  Year  and  heralded  the  New. 
It  was  chanted  as  a  farewell  dirge  when  I  left  my  home 
in  Scotland.  It  has  followed  me  '  Sooth  the  line,'  and 
every  gait  I  gang,  I  never  rest  until  from  dusky  throats 
roll  out  the  familiar  words.  It  is  a  '  couthy '  psalm,  and 
touches  to  the  quick  the  human  spirit  that  more  gifted 
utterances  fail  to  reach.  I  am  penning  this  in  the  little 
room  that  was  once  the  study  of  David  Livingstone, 
whose  walls  have  often  re-echoed  to  many  a  strain  of 
praise  and  supplication,  but  to  none  more  inspiring  and 
endearing  than  '  O  God  of  Bethel.'  "  Another  Scotch- 
man writes :  "  In  some  ways  I  have  wandered  far  from 
the  faith  of  our  fathers,  but  the  old  Psalms  move  me 
strongly  yet.  'O  God  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand'  will 
ever  have  a  pathetic  interest  for  me.  I,  too,  have 
crooned  it  as  a  cradle  song  over  one  who  will  never  need 
to  hear  me  croon  it  ever  more,  for  she  has  solved  the 
riddle  of  the  ages,  which  I  am  left  painfully  trying  to 
spell.  These  rugged  lines  speak  out  the  religious  ex- 
periences of  a  rugged  race  as  no  modern  hymns  ever 
will." 

92  — NOW  I  HAVE   FOUND   THE  GROUND 

WHEREIN. 

This  hymn  is  John  Wesley's  version  of  Rothe's  "  Ich 
habe  nun  den  Grund  gefunden."  Rothe  was  Count 
Zinzendorf's  friend  and  pastor  at  Berthelsdorf. 


HYMNS   THAT  HAVE   HELPED.        185 

NOW  I  have  found  the  ground  wherein 
Sure  my  soul's  anchor  may  remain  :  — 
The  wounds  of  Jesus,  for  my  sin, 
Before  the  world's  foundation  slain  : 
Whose  mercy  shall  unshaken  stay, 
When  heaven  and  earth  are  fled  away. 

0  Love,  thou  bottomless  abyss  ! 
My  sins  are  swallowed  up  in  thee; 
Covered  is  mine  unrighteousness, 
Nor  spot  of  guilt  remains  on  me, 

While  Jesus'  blood,  through  earth  and  skies, 
Mercy,  free,  boundless  mercy  cries  ! 

With  faith  I  plunge  me  in  this  sea : 
Here  is  my  hope,  my  joy,  my  rest ! 
Hither,  when  hell  assails,  I  flee; 

1  look  into  my  Saviour's  breast ; 
Away,  sad  doubt,  and  anxious  fear  ! 
Mercy  is  all  that's  written  there. 

Though  waves  and  storms  go  o'er  my  head, 
Though  strength,  and  health,  and  friends  be  gone, 
Though  joys  be  withered  all  and  dead, 
Though  every  comfort  be  withdrawn  ; 
On  this  my  steadfast  soulrelies: 
Father,  Thy  mercy  never  dies. 

Fixed  on  this  ground  will  I  remain, 
Though  my  heart  fail,  and  flesh  decay; 
This  anchor  shall  my  soul  sustain, 
When  earth's  foundations  melt  away; 
Mercy's  full  power  I  then  shall  prove, 
Loved  with  an  everlasting  love. 

Tune  — "Stella." 

According  to  "  Notes  on  the  Methodist  Hymn- 
Book,"  this  hymn  has  helped  multitudes.  Few  hymns 
are  so  full  of  Scripture  truth  and  Scripture  phraseology. 


1 86       HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

There  are  said  to  be  no  fewer  than  thirty-six  texts  which 
can  be  traced  in  its  thirty  lines. 

The  veteran  Wesleyan  minister,  the  Rev.  Charles 
Garrett,  of  Liverpool,  places  this  hymn  in  the  forefront 
as  one  which  has  been  his  companion  and  comfort  all 
through  his  life's  journey. 

93 -JESUS,  THE  VERY  THOUGHT  OF 

THEE. 

There  are  fifty  stanzas  of  this  hymn  of  St.  Bernard, 
of  which  only  four  are  given  here.  The  fifth,  in  Latin, 
is  not  Bernard's.  It  has  been  in  constant  use  for 
seven  hundred  years.  No  other  poem,  says  Julian,  in 
any  language  has  furnished  so  many-  hymns  of  sterling 
worth  and  well-deserved  popularity  to  English  and 
American  hymnody. 

JESUS,  the  very  thought  of  Thee 
With  sweetness  fills  my  breast ; 
But  sweeter  far  Thy  face  to  see, 
And  in  Thy  presence  rest. 

Nor  voice  can  sing,  nor  heart  can  frame, 

Nor  can  the  memory  find, 
A  sweeter  sound  than  Thy  blest  name, 

O  Saviour  of  mankind! 

O  hope  of  every  contrite  heart ! 

O  joy  of  all  the  meek ! 
To  those  who  fall,  how  kind  Thou  art ! 

How  good  to  those  who  seek  ! 

But  what  to  those  who  find  ?    Ah  !  this 
Nor  tongue  nor  pen  can  show; 

The  love  of  Jesus  —  what  it  is, 
None  but  His  loved  ones  know. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.         1 87 

JESU  dulcis  memoria, 
Dans  vera  cordi  gaudia  : 
Sed  super  mel  et  omnia 
Ejus  dulcis  praesentia. 

Nil  canitur  suavius, 
Nil  auditur  jucundius, 
Nil  cogitatur  dulcius, 
Quam  Jesus  Dei«Filius. 

Jesu  spes  pcenitentibus, 
Quam  pius  es  petentibus  ! 
Quam  bonus  te  quaerentibus  ! 
Sed  quid  invenientibus ! 

Nee  lingua  valet  dicere, 
Nee  littera  exprimere ; 
Expertus  potest  credere, 
Quid  sit  Jesum  diligere. 

Sis,  Jesu,  nostrum  gaudium, 

Qui  es  futurus  praemium  : 

Sit  nostra  in  te  gloria, 

Per  cuncta  semper  sascula.        Amen. 

Tune  —  "St.  Agnes." 


94  — HOW    SWEET    THE    NAME    OF  JESUS 

SOUNDS. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  Newton's  hymns. 
The  word  Guardian  in  the  fourth  verse  was  originally 
written  Husband,  in  allusion  to  the  Church,  "  the 
Lamb's  wife." 

HOW  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds 
In  a  believer's  ear  ! 
It  soothes  his  sorrows,  heals  his  wounds, 
And  drives  away  his  fear. 


1 88        HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


It  makes  the  wounded  spirit  whole, 
And  calms  the  troubled  breast : 

'T  is  manna  to  the  hungry  soul, 
And  to  the  weary,  rest. 

Dear  name  !  the  rock  on  which  I  build; 

My  shield  and  hiding-place, 
My  never-failing  treasury,  filled 

With  boundless  stores  of  grace. 

Jesus,  my  Shepherd,  Guardian,  Friend ; 

My  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King ; 
My  Lord,  my  life,  my  way,  mine  end, 

Accept  the  praise  I  bring. 

Weak  is  the  effort  of  my  heart, 
And  cold  my  warmest  thought ; 

But  when  I  see  Thee  as  Thou  art, 
I  '11  praise  Thee  as  I  ought : 

Till  then,  I  would  Thy  love  proclaim 

With  every  fleeting  breath  ; 
And  may  the  music  of  Thy  name 

Refresh  my  soul  in  death. 

Tune  —  "  St.  Peter." 

95  -LOVE  DIVINE,  ALL  LOVES  EXCELLING. 

This  is  one  of  the  hymns  of  Charles  Wesley,  which  en- 
abled Methodism  to  sing  itself  into  the  heart  of  the 
human  race. 

LOVE  divine,  all  loves  excelling, 
Joy  of  heaven,  to  eartli  come  down ; 
Fix  in  us  Thy  humble  dwelling ; 

All  Thy  faithful  mercies  crown. 
Jesus,  Thou  art  all  compassion  ; 

Pure,  unbounded  love  Thou  art : 
Visit  us  with  Thy  salvation  ; 
Enter  every  longing  heart. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    1 89 


Come,  almighty  to  deliver, 

Let  us  all  Thy  grace  receive  ; 
Suddenly  return,  and  never, 

Never  more  Thy  temples  leave. 
Thee  we  would  be  always  blessing, 

Serve  Thee  as  Thy  hosts  above ; 
Pray,  and  praise  Thee  without  ceasing; 

Glory  in  Thy  precious  love. 

Finish,  then,  Thy  new  creation  ; 

Pure,  unspotted  may  we  be  : 
Let  us  see  our  whole  salvation 

Perfectly  secured  by  Thee  : 
Changed  from  glory  into  glory, 

Till  in  heaven  we  take  our  place, 
Till  we  cast  our  crowns  before  Thee  ! 

Lost  in  wonder,  love,  and  praise. 

Tune  —  "  Bithynia." 

It  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  helpful  hymns, 
which,  originating  in  the  Methodist  hymnody,  have 
found  an  honoured  place  in  the  hymn-books  of  almost 
every  other  denomination.  It  was  a  prime  favourite  of 
Henry  Ward  Beecher.  No  one  who  ever  heard  the 
great  congregation  of  Plymouth  Church  sing  "  Love 
Divine  "  is  likely  to  forget  the  soul-stirring  effect. 

96— OH  FOR  A  THOUSAND  TONGUES 

TO  SING. 

The  first  man  whom  this  hymn  helped  was  Charles 
Wesley  himself.  On  May  21,  1738,  Charles  Wesley 
experienced  that  practical  spiritual  change  which  among 
Methodists  is  known  as  Conversion.  Twelve  months 
afterwards,  in  memory  of  a  year  in  which  he  had  found 
peace  and  joy  in  believing,  he  wrote  the  exultant  out- 
burst of  grateful  praise  which,  being  given  the  first 
place  in  the  Methodist  hymn-book,  may  be  said  to  strike 
the  key-note  of  the  whole  of  Methodism,  that  multitu- 


190   HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


dinous  chorus,  whose  voices,  like  the  sound  of  many 
waters,  encompass  the  world.  The  germ  idea  of  the 
hymn  was  given  to  the  author  by  Peter  Bohler,  the 
Moravian,  who  once  declared :  "  Had  I  a  thousand 
tongues  I  would  praise  Christ  with  them  all."  Origi- 
nally, the  exuberance  of  Wesley's  gratitude  overflowed 
into  sixty-eight  verses,  only  the  best  of  which  are  used 
for  singing.  The  third  verse  is  an  equal  favourite  of 
condemned  malefactors  and  dying  saints. 

OH  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing 
My  dear  Redeemer's  praise, 
The  glories  of  my  God  and  King, 
The  triumphs  of  His  grace  ! 

Jesus  —  the  name  that  charms  our  fears, 

That  bids  our  sorrows  cease ; 
'T  is  music  in  the  sinner's  ears; 

'Tis  life,  and  health,  and  peace. 

He  breaks  the'power  of  cancelled  sin, 

And  sets  the  prisoner  free : 
His  blood  can  make  the  foulest  clean  ; 

His  blood  availed  for  me. 

He  speaks  ;  and,  listening  to  His  voice, 

New  life  the  dead  receive  ; 
The  mournful  broken  hearts  rejoice  ; 

The  humble  poor  believe. 

Hear  Him,  ye  deaf;  His  praise,  ye  dumb, 

Your  loosened  tongues  employ  ; 
Ye  blind,  behold  your  Saviour  come  ; 

And  leap,  ye  lame,  for  joy  ! 

My  gracious  Master  and  my  God, 

Assist  me  to  proclaim 
And  spread  through  all  the  earth  abroad 

The  honours  of  Thy  name. 

Tune  —  "  Byzantium." 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


191 


Mortimer  Collins  says :  "  Wesley's  hymns  are  as 
much  in  earnest  as  Dibdin's  sea-songs.  I  suspect 
Charles  Wesley  the  poet  did  as  much  as  John  Wesley 
the  orator  for  the  permanence  of  Methodism.  The 
magnetism  of  personal  influence  passes  away;  but  the 
burning  life  of  that  wondrous  psalmody,  sung  Sunday 
after  Sunday  by  congregations  full  of  faith,  is  im- 
perishable." 


97  — THOU  HIDDEN  LOVE  OF  GOD. 

There  is  a  peculiar  interest  attached  to  this  hymn. 
John  Wesley  is  said  to  have  translated  it  in  Savannah, 
in  the  United  States,  where  he  suffered  much  and  was 
grievously  tormented  by  his  ill-starred  passion  for  a 
certain  Miss  Sophy.  It  was  with  special  reference  to 
the  continually  obtruding  thought  of  this  Miss  Sophy 
that  the  Rev.  John  composed  the  verse  "  Is  there  a 
thing  beneath  the  sun  ?  "  It  seems  to  have  been  effica- 
cious, and  the  lovelorn  poet  came  home  to  meet  a  worse 
fate  at  the  hands  of  her  whom,  for  his  Karma,  he  was 
allowed  to  make  Mrs.  Wesley.  The  hymn  has  helped 
thousands  who  never  knew  of  Wesley  and  his  ill-fated 
loves  to  acts  of  consecration  and  self-sacrifice  from 
which  they  would  otherwise  have  shrunk.  Tersteegen, 
the  original  author  of  the  hymn  "  Verborgne  Gottes- 
liebe,  Du,"  was  a  German  mystical  poet  who  died  in 
1769. 

THOU  hidden  Love  of  God,  whose  height, 
Whose  depth  unfathomed,  no  man  knows : 
I  see  from  far  Thy  bounteous  light, 
Inly  I  sigh  for  Thy  repose  : 
My  heart  is  pained,  nor  can  it  be 
At  rest,  till  it  finds  rest  in  Thee. 

'T  is  mercy  all,  that  Thou  hast  brought 
My  mind  to  seek  her  peace  in  Thee  : 
Yet  while  I  seek,  but  find  Thee  not, 


192        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

No  peace  my  wandering  soul  shall  see: 
O  when  shall  all  my  wanderings  end, 
And  all  my  steps  to  Thee-ward  tend  ! 

Is  there  a  thing  beneath  the  sun 

That  strives  with  Thee  my  heart  to  share  ? 

Ah  !  tear  it  thence,  and  reign  alone, 

The  Lord  of  every  motion  there  : 

Then  shall  my  heart  from  earth  be  free: 

When  it  hath  found  repose  in  Thee. 

O  Love,  Thy  sovereign  aid  impart, 
To  save  me  from  low-thoughted  care  : 
Chase  this  self-will  through  all  my  heart, 
Through  all  its  latent  mazes  there  : 
Make  me  Thy  duteous  child,  that  I 
Ceaseless  may  Abba,  Father,  cry  ! 

Tune  —  ''Rest"  or  "Euphony." 


98—1  HEARD  THE  VOICE  OF  JESUS. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  Dr.  Bonar's  hymns. 
It  belongs  to  the  number  of  those  in  which  the  con- 
verted recite  their  experiences  for  the  encouragement  of 
the  unconverted.  The  persistent  use  of  "  I  "  and  "  me  " 
in  this  hymn  has  helped  it  to  help  many  to  whom  "  we  " 
and  "  us  "  would  have  been  much  less  effective. 

I  HEARD  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 
"  Come  unto  me  and  rest ; 
Lay  down,  thou  weary  one,  lay  down 

Thy  head  upon  My  breast." 
I  came  to  Jesus  as  I  was, 

Weary  and  worn  and  sad, 
I  found  in  Him  a  resting-place, 
And  He  has  made  me  glad. 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 
"  Behold,  I  freely  give 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


193 


The  living  water;  thirsty  one, 
Stoop  down  and  drink,  and  live." 

I  came  to  Jesus,  and  I  drank 
Of  that  life-giving  stream, 

My  thirst  was  quenched,  my  soul  revived, 
And  now  I  live  in  Him. 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 

"  I  am  this  dark  world's  light, 
Look  unto  Me,  thy  morn  shall  rise, 

And  all  thy  day  be  bright." 
I  looked  to  Jesus,  and  I  found 

In  Him  my  Star,  my  Sun; 
And  in  that  light  of  life  I  '11  walk, 

Till  travelling  days  are  done. 

Tune  —  "Vox  Dilecti." 


99  — SAFE  IN  THE  ARMS  OF  JESUS. 

This  little  hymn  by  Mrs.  Van  Alstyne  has  comforted 
manv,  and  will  continue  to  do  so.  There  are  many 
souls  from  whom  the  craving  for  being  "  mothered  " 
has  been  left  out.  To  them  the  longing  to  be  folded  in 
loving  arms  and  pressed  to  a  tender  and  sympathetic 
bosom  is  unintelligible.  But  to  those  who  never  out- 
grow, even  in  their  maturest  years,  when  overwhelmed 
by  affliction,  the  instinctive  heart-longing  to  seek  the 
sheltering  arms  which  comforted  them  in  their  child- 
hood, this  hymn  is  a  special  and  most  helpful  favourite. 
It  is  when  people  are  hard  hit  they  need  help.  The 
just  need  no  repentance,  and  the  happy  need  no  helper. 
Put  for  the  miserable,  the  promise  of  the  shelter  of  the 
Everlasting  Arms  is  sweet. 

SAFE  in  the  arms  of  Jesus, 
Safe  on  His  gentle  breast, 
There  by  His  love  o'ershaded, 
Sweetly  my  soul  shall  rest. 

J3 


194        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

Hark  !  't  is  the  voice  of  angels 

Borne  in  a  song  to  me, 
Over  the  fields  of  glory, 
Over  the  jasper  sea. 

Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus,  safe  on  His 

gentle  breast; 
There  by  His  love  o'ershaded,  sweetly 
my  soul  shall  rest. 

Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus, 

Safe  from  corroding  care, 
Safe  from  the  world's  temptations, 

Sin  cannot  harm  me  there. 
Free  from  the  blight  of  sorrow, 

Free  from  my  doubts  and  fears ; 
Only  a  few  more  trials,  — 

Only  a  few  more  tears  ! 

Jesus,  my  heart's  dear  Refuge, 

Jesus  has  died  for  me  ; 
Firm  on  the  Rock  of  Ages 

Ever  my  trust  shall  be. 
Here  let  me  wait  with  patience, 

Wait  till  the  night  is  o'er ; 
Wait  till  I  see  the  morning 

Break  on  the  golden  shore. 

Tune  —  From  "Songs  and  Solos." 

J00  -  O  JESU,  KING  MOST  WONDERFUL. 

This  is  another  part  of  St.  Bernard's  hymn,  "  Jesu 
dulcis  memoria,"  which  is  noticed  under  the  heading 
"  Jesus,  the  very  thought  of  Thee." 

OJESU,  King  most  wonderful, 
Thou  Conqueror  renowned ; 
Thou  sweetness  most  ineffable, 
In  whom  alt  joys  are  found  ;  — 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED.         195 

When  once  Thou  visitest  the  heart, 

Then  truth  begins  to  shine, 
Then  earthly  vanities  depart, 

Then  kindles  love  divine. 

O  Jesus,  light  of  all  below, 

Thou  fount  of  life  and  fire, 
Surpassing  all  the  joys  we  know, 

All  that  we  can  desire  ;  — 

May  every  heart  confess  Thy  name, 

And  ever  Thee  adore  : 
And,  seeking  Thee,  itself  inflame 

To  seek  Thee  more  and  more. 

Thee  may  our  tongues  for  ever  bless, 

Thee  may  we  love  alone  ; 
And  ever  in  our  lives  express 

The  image  of  Thine  own. 

Tune — "St.  Agnes." 


XOJ  —  COME,  THOU  FOUNT  OF  EVERY 

BLESSING. 

This  hymn  for  a  hundred  years  has  been  a  great 
favourite.  It  has  been  wrongfully  attributed  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon.  Its  real  author  was  one 
Robert  Robinson,  of  whom  a  somewhat  pathetic  story 
is  told.  In  his  later  years,  this  Robinson  somewhat 
fell  away  from  grace  and  displayed  such  levity  in  a 
stage-coach  as  to  lead  a  lady  fellow-passenger  to  labour 
with  him  in  the  Lord.  As  a  final  shot,  she,  all  unknow- 
ing who  the  stranger  was,  quoted  to  him  this  hymn  and 
spoke  of  how  it  had  been  blessed  to  her  soul.  There- 
upon Robinson  burst  out  into  tears,  crying :  "  Madam, 
I  am  the  poor  unhappy  man  who  composed  that  hymn 
many  years  ago,  and  I  would  give  a  thousand  worlds,  if 
I  had  them,  to  enjoy  the  feelings  I  had  then."  # 


196        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

COME,  Thou  fount  of  every  blessing, 
Tune  my  heart  to  sing  Thy  grace  ; 
Streams  of  mercy,  never  ceasing, 

Call  for  songs  of  loudest  praise  : 
Teach  me  some  melodious  sonnet 
Sung  by  flaming  tongues  above  ; 
Praise  the  mount —  I  'm  fixed  upon  it ! 
Mount  of  Thy  redeeming  love  ! 

Here  I  '11  raise  my  Ebenezer, 

Hither  by  Thy  help  I  've  come  ; 
And  I  hope,  by  Thy  good  pleasure, 

Safely  to  arrive  at  home. 
Jesus  sought  me  when  a  stranger, 

Wandering  from  the  fold  of  God  ; 
He,  to  rescue  me  from  danger, 

Interposed  His  precious  blood. 

Oh,  to  grace  how  great  a  debtor 

Daily  I  'm  constrained  to  be ! 
Let  Thy  grace,  Lord,  like  a  fetter, 

Bind  my  wandering  heart  to  Thee. 
Prone  to  wander,  Lord,  I  feel  it; 

Prone  to  leave  the  God  I  love  ; 
Here  's  my  heart,  oh,  take  and  seal  it, 

Seal  it  for  Thy  courts  above. 

Tune  —  "  Normandy. 

J02  — I  NEED  THEE  EVERY  HOUR. 

This  is  a  hymn  by  Mrs.  A.  S.  Hawks  which  has  been 
much  used  at  missions,  revival  meetings,  and  the  like. 

NEED  Thee  every  hour,  most  gracious  Lord: 
No  tender  voice  like  Thine  can  peace  afford. 
I  need  Thee,  oh,  I  need  Thee;  every  hour 

I  need  Thee  : 
Oh,  bless  me  now,  my  Saviour!  I  come  to 
Thee. 


I 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


197 


I  need  Thee  every  hour :  stay  Thou  near  by : 
Temptations  lose  their  power  when  Thou  art  nigh. 

I  need  Thee  every  hour,  in  joy  or  pain ; 
Come  quickly  and  abide,  or  life  is  vain. 

I  need  Thee  every  hour :  teach  me  Thy  will ; 
And  Thy  rich  promises  in  me  fulfil. 

I  need  Thee  every  hour,  most  Holy  One; 
Oh,  make  me  Thine  indeed,  Thou  blessed  Son. 
Tune  —  By  Rev.  R.  Lowry  in  "Songs  and  Solos." 


J03-O  SACRED  HEAD  ONCE  WOUNDED, 

This  is  another  of  the  "hymns  that  have  helped" 
which  we  owe  to  St.  Bernard  of  Clairvaux.  Its  genesis 
is  direct.  In  Bernard's  Rhythmica  Oratio,  Part  vii. 
begins :  "  Salve  caput  cruentatum."  Gerhardt  pub- 
lished a  German  version  in  the  seventeenth  century,  be- 
ginning :  "  O  Haupt  voll  Blut  und  Wunden."  Dr.  Alex- 
ander, an  American  Presbyterian,  translated  it  into 
English  in  1830. 

Dr.  Philip  Schaff  says  :  "  This  classical  hymn  has 
shown  in  three  tongues,  Latin,  German,  and  English, 
and  in  three  Confessions,  Roman,  Lutheran,  and  Re- 
formed, with  equal  effect,  the  dying  love  of  our  Saviour 
and  our  boundless  indebtedness  to  Him." 

O  SACRED  Head  once  wounded, 
With  grief  and  pain  weigh'd  down, 
How  scornfully  surrounded 

With  thorns —  Thine  only  crown  ! 
How  art  Thou  pale  with  anguish, 

With  sore  abuse  and  scorn  ! 
How  does  that  visage  languish, 
Which  once  was  bright  as  morn  ! 

O  Lord  of  life  and  glory, 

What  bliss  till  now  was  Thine  ! 


198        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

I  read  the  wondrous  story, 

I  joy  to  call  Thee  mine. 
Thy  grief  and  Thy  compassion 

Were  all  for  sinners'  gain  ; 
Mine,  mine  was  the  transgression, 

But  Thine  the  deadly  pain. 

What  language  shall  I  borrow 

To  praise  Thee,  Heavenly  Friend, 
For  this  Thy  dying  sorrow, 

Thy  pity  without  end  ? 
Lord,  make  me  Thine  for  ever, 

Nor  let  me  faithless  prove ; 
Oh,  let  me  never,  never 

Abuse  such  dying  love. 

Be  near  me,  Lord,  when  dying; 

Oh,  show  Thy  cross  to  me  ; 
And,  for  my  succour  flying, 

Come,  Lord,  to  set  me  free  : 
These  eyes,  new  faith  receiving, 

From  Jesus  shall  not  move ; 
For  he  who  dies  believing, 

Dies  safely  through  Thy  love. 

Tune  —  "Passion  Chorale." 


J04— JESUS,  AND  SHALL  IT  EVER  BE, 

This  hymn  dates  from  the  middle  of  last  century. 
There  are  several  hymns  like  it  intended  to  encourage 
the  diffident  believer  to  profess  his  faith.  "  Ashamed 
to  be  a  Christian  "  is  another  of  the  same  kind.  They 
are  more  practical  than  many  much  more  admired 
hymns.  Its  author  was  one  Joseph  Gregg;  the  origi- 
nal poem,  entitled  "  Glorying  in  Jesus,"  contained  seven 
stanzas. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.    1 99 

JESUS,  and  shall  it  ever  be, 
A  mortal  man  ashamed  of  Thee  ? 
Scorned  be  the  thought  by  rich  and  poor: 
My  soul  shall  scorn  it  more  and  more. 

Ashamed  of  Jesus  !     Sooner  far 
May  evening  blush  to  own  a  star. 
Ashamed  of  Jesus  !     Just  as  soon 
May  midnight  blush  to  think  of  noon. 

Ashamed  of  Jesus  !  that  dear  Friend, 
On  whom  my  hopes  of  heaven  depend  ? 
No !  when  I  blush,  be  this  my  shame, 
That  I  no  more  revere  His  name. 

Ashamed  of  Jesus !  Yes,  I  may, 
When  I  've  no  sins  to  wash  away, 
No  tears  to  wipe,  no  joys  to  crave, 
No  fears  to  quell,  no  soul  to  save. 

Till  then  —  nor  is  the  boasting  vain  — 
Till  then  I  boast  a  Saviour  slain : 
And  Oh,  may  this  my  glory  be, 
That  Christ  is  not  ashamed  of  me. 

Tune —  "  Brookfield." 


J05— MUST  JESUS  BEAR  THE  CROSS 

ALONE. 

A  stirring  hymn  with  a  spirited  tune,  it  is  associated, 
in  the  minds  of  many,  with  the  turning-point  of  their  life. 
It  is  a  great  favourite  with  the  Salvation  Army,  which  has 
gathered  in  many  of  its  converts  to  its  strains. 

MUST  Jesus  bear  the  Cross  alone, 
And  all  the  world  go  free  ? 
No,  there  's  a  Cross  for  everyone, 
And  there  's  a  Cross  for  me. 


200        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

If  the  Cross  we  boldly  bear 
Then  the  crown  we  shall  wear, 
When  we  dwell  with  Jesus  there 
In  the  bright  forevermore. 

The  consecrated  Cross  I  '11  bear 

Till  death  shall  set  me  free, 
And  then  go  home  my  crown  to  wear, 

For  there  's  a  crown  for  me. 

Upon  the  crystal  pavement,  down 

At  Jesus'  pierced  feet, 
Joyful  I  '11  cast  my  golden  crown, 

And  His  dear  name  repeat. 

Tune  from  Salvation  Army  Book. 


J06  —  IN  THE  CROSS  OF  CHRIST  I  GLORY. 

Sir  John  Bowring,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  was  a  Unitarian 
who,  in  his  day,  played  a  rather  important  part  in  our 
Chinese  wars.  He  was  a  polyglot  scholar,  a  Radical 
M.P.,  Consul  at  Hong  Kong  when  the  Opium  War  broke 
out,  and  afterwards  Governor  of  that  Colony.  He  was 
the  author  of  several  hymns,  of  which  this  is  the  best 
known  and  most  used.  Its  first  line  is  inscribed  on  his 
tombstone. 

IN  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  glory ; 
Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time, 
All  the  light  of  sacred  story 

Gathers  round  its  head  sublime. 

When  the  woes  of  life  o'ertake  me, 
Hopes  deceive,  and  fears  annoy, 

Never  shall  the  Cross  forsake  me  : 
Lo  !  it  glows  with  peace  and  joy. 

When  the  sun  of  bliss  is  beaming 
Light  and  love  upon  my  way : 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        201 


From  the  Cross  the  radiance  streaming 
Adds  more  lustre  to  the  day. 

Bane  and  blessing,  pain  and  pleasure, 

By  the  Cross  are  sanctified  ; 
Peace  is  there,  that  knows  no  measure, 

Joys,  that  through  all  time  abide. 

In  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  glory  ; 

Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time, 
All  the  light  of  sacred  story 

Gathers  round  its  head  sublime. 

Tune  —  "  Sardis." 

107  —  PEACE,  PERFECT  PEACE. 

"  Bickersteth's  '  Peace,  perfect  peace,'  "  writes  Rich- 
ard Le  Gallienne,  "comes  very  near  'Lead,  Kindly 
Light/  in  combining  piety  and  poetry  in  the  highest  pro- 
portion. But,  after  all,  that  hymn  is  best  which  sings 
best  rather  than  reads  best,  which  best  lends  itself  to 
the  breath  of  devotion  vibrating  through  it  as  through 
an  instrument."  Bishop  Bickersteth  wrote  it  in  1875, 
on  the  text,  "  Thou  will  keep  him  in  perfect  peace  whose 
mind  is  stayed  on  Thee,  because  he  trusteth  in  Thee." 

PEACE,  perfect  peace,  in  this  dark  world  of  sin? 
The  blood  of  Jesus  whispers  peace  within. 

Peace,  perfect  peace,  by  thronging  duties  pressed  ? 
To  do  the  will  of  Jesus,  this  is  rest. 

Peace,  perfect  peace,  with  sorrows  surging  round? 
On  Jesus'  bosom  nought  but  calm  is  found. 

Peace,  perfect  peace,  with  loved  ones  far  away  ? 
In  Jesus'  keeping  we  are  safe,  and  they. 

Peace,  perfect  peace,  our  future  all  unknown  ? 
Jesus  we  know,  and  He  is  on  the  throne. 


202        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Peace,   perfect  peace,    death   shadowing  us   and 

ours  ? 
Jesus  has  vanquish'd  death  and  all  its  powers. 

It  is  enough  :  earth's  struggles  soon  shall  cease, 
And  Jesus  call  us  to  Heav'n's  perfect  peace. 

Tune  —  "  Pax  Tecum." 

XHL  —  Morning  and  Evening. 

J08— AWAKE,  MY  SOUL,  AND  WITH  THE 

SUN. 

AWAKE,  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun 
Thy  daily  stage  of  duty  run  : 
Shake  off  dull  sloth,  and  joyful  rise 
To  pay  thy  morning  sacrifice. 

Thy  precious  time,  misspent,  redeem ; 
Each  present  day,  thy  last  esteem ; 
Improve  thy  talent  with  due  care  ; 
For  the  Great  Day  thyself  prepare. 

In  conversation  be  sincere  ; 
Keep  conscience  as  the  noontide  clear. 
Think  how  All-seeing  God  thy  ways, 
Thy  every  secret  thought  surveys. 

Wake,  and  lift  up  thyself,  my  heart, 
And  with  the  angels  bear  thy  part, 
Who,  all  night  long,  unwearied  sing 
High  praise  to  the  Eternal  King. 

All  praise  to  Thee,  who  safe  has  kept, 
And  hast  refreshed  me  while  I  slept. 
Grant,  Lord,  when  I  from  death  shall  wake, 
I  may  of  endless  life  partake. 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.   203 

Lord,  I  my  vows  to  Thee  renew  : 
Scatter  my  sins  as  morning  dew  : 
Guard  my  first  springs  of  thought  and  will, 
And  with  Thyself  my  spirit  fill. 

Direct,  control,  suggest,  this  day, 

All  I  design,  or  do,  or  say  ; 

That  all  my  powers,  with  all  their  might, 

In  Thy  sole  glory  may  unite. 

Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow : 
Praise  Him  all  creatures  here  below : 
Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  host : 
Praise  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 

Tune  —  "  Morning  Hymn." 


Bishop  Ken,  the  author  of  this  hymn,  led  a  rather 
troubled  and  eventful  life.  He  bore  stern  testimony 
against  the  immorality  of  the  Restoration,  refusing  to 
admit  Nell  Gwynne  to  his  house ;  but  he  was  called  in 
to  attend  the  death-bed  of  Charles  the  Second  when 
that  merry  monarch  was  "  such  an  unconscionable 
time  in  dying."  He  was  sent  to  the  Tower  by  James 
along  with  the  other  bishops  who  would  not  publish  the 
Declaration  of  Indulgence.  But  when  William  came 
he  refused  to  swear  allegiance,  and  died  a  non-juror  in 
171 1.  He  used  to  sing  this  morning  hymn  to  his  own 
accompaniment  on  the  lute,  and  when  he  died  he  was 
buried  under  the  east  window  of  the  chancel  of  Frome 
Church,  just  at  sunrising,  as  his  mourning  friends  sang, 
in  the  first  light  of  the  dawning  day,  "  Awake,  my  soul, 
and  with  the  sun."  Macaulay  says  of  him  that  his 
character  approached  as  near  as  human  infirmity  per- 
mits to  the  ideal  perfection  of  Christian  virtue.  Monck- 
ton  Milnes  wrote  a  hymn  upon  his  grave,  styling  him 

"A  braver  Becket  —  who  could  hope 
To  conquer  unresisting." 


204        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

If  it  was  for  nothing  else,  this  hymn  is  famous  as  a 
help  because  its  last  verse  has  become  the  universal 
doxology  of  the  English-speaking  world,  —  a  kind  of 
pious  pemmican  of  devotion  not  unworthy  to  be  sung 
wherever  the  Lord's.  Prayer  is  prayed.  Mr.  Thomas 
Hardy,  author  of  "Tess"  and  other  novels,  places  this 
among  the  three  hymns  he  loves  most. 

J09.— CARLYLE'S  MORNING  HYMN. 

Very  different  from  Bishop  Ken's,  but,  nevertheless, 
not  without  helpfulness  of  its  own,  is  Thomas  Carlyle's 
charming  little  hymn  for  the  dawning  of  the  morning. 

SO  here  hath  been  dawning 
Another  blue  day  ; 
Think,  wilt  thou  let  it 
Slip  useless  away  ? 

Out  of  eternity 

This  new  day  is  born  ; 
Into  eternity 

At  night  will  return. 

Behold  it  aforetime 

No  eye  ever  did  ; 
So  soon  it  for  ever 

P'rom  all  eyes  is  hid. 

Here  hath  been  dawning 

Another  blue  day ; 
Think,  wilt  thou  let  it 

Slip  useless  away? 

HO  — O  TIMELY  HAPPY,  TIMELY  WISE. 

"  This  morning  hymn  of  Keble's  from  the  Christian 
Year  has  been  to  me,"  says  a  correspondent  in  Brisbane, 
"more  helpful  than  anything  else  I  ever  read."  The 
sixth  verse  is  the  kernel  of  the  hymn. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.       205 

O  TIMELY  happy,  timely  wise, 
Hearts  that  with  rising  morn  arise; 
Eyes  that  the  beam  celestial  view, 
Which  evermore  makes  all  things  new. 

New  every  morning  is  the  love 
Our  wakening  and  uprising  prove  ; 
Through  sleep  and  darkness  safely  brought, 
Restored  to  life  and  power  and  thought. 

New  mercies,  each  returning  day, 

Hover  around  us  while  we  pray; 

New  perils  past,  new  sins  forgiven, 

New  thoughts  of  God,  new  hopes  of  heaven. 

If  on  our  daily  course  our  mind 
Be  set  to  hallow  all  we  find, 
New  treasures  still,  of  countless  price, 
God  will  provide  for  sacrifice. 

Old  friends,  old  scenes,  will  lovelier  be, 
As  more  of  heaven  in  each  we  see ; 
Some  softening  gleam  of  love  and  prayer 
Shall  dawn  on  every  cross  and  care. 

The  trivial  round,  the  common  task, 
Will  furnish  all  we  ought  to  ask  : 
Room  to  deny  ourselves ;  a  road 
To  bring  us  daily  nearer  God. 

Only,  O  Lord,  in  Thy  dear  love, 
Fit  us  for  perfect  rest  above  ; 
And  help  us,  this  and  every  day, 
To  live  more  nearly  as  we  pray. 

Tune  —  "  Nicomachus." 

Another  correspondent  sends  me  this  hymn  as  one 
which  she  has  never  called  to  mind  without  its  proving 


206        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

of  great  help  in  assisting  her  to  build  up  more  than  one 
Christian  virtue.  In  the  United  States  the  hymn  be- 
gins, in  most  churches,  with  the  second  stanza. 

m-SUN  OF  MY  SOUL. 

Keble's  evening  hymn  has  far  outstripped  in  general 
use  his  morning  hymn.  Although  the  Christian  Year 
has  gone  through  one  hundred  editions,  the  last  of 
which  placed  the  bulk  of  it  before  one  hundred  thou- 
sand readers,  this  hymn  is  known  not  to  thousands,  but 
to  millions,  and  the  music  of  its  verse  is  familiar  in 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  English-speaking  world. 

SUN  of  my  soul,  Thou  Saviour  dear  ! 
It  is  not  night,  if  Thou  be  near  ; 
O  may  no  earth-born  cloud  arise, 
To  hide  Thee  from  Thy  servant's  eyes! 

When  with  dear  friends  sweet  talk  I  hold, 
And  all  the  flowers  of  life  unfold, 
L?t  not  my  heart  within  me  burn 
Except  in  all  I  Thee  discern. 

When  the  soft  dews  of  kindly  sleep 
My  weary  eyelids  gently  steep, 
Be  my  last  thought,  how  sweet  to  rest 
For  ever  on  my  Saviour's  breast ! 

Abide  with  me  from  morn  till  eve, 
For  without  Thee  I  cannot  live: 
Abide  with  me  when  night  is  nigh, 
For  without  Thee  I  dare  not  die. 

Thou  Framer  of  the  light  and  dark, 
Steer  through  the  tempest  Thine  own  ark  : 
Amid  the  howling  wintry  sea, 
We  are  in  port  if  we  have  Thee. 


'  — ■■—  III      ■■—»—— www — — fri 

HYMNS   THAT   HAVE  HELPED.        207 

If  some  poor  wandering  child  of  Thine 
Have  spurned,  to-day,  the  voice  divine, 
Now,  Lord,  the  gracious  work  begin  ; 
Let  him  no  more  lie  down  in  sin. 

Watch  by  the  sick  :  enrich  the  poor 
With  blessings  from  Thy  boundless  store  : 
Be  every  mourner's  sleep  to-night, 
Like  infants'  slumbers,  pure  and  light. 

Come  near  and  bless  us  when  we  wake, 
Ere  through  the  world  our  way  we  take : 
Till  in  the  ocean  of  Thy  love 
We  lose  ourselves  in  heaven  above. 

Tune—  "  Hursley." 

\\2- ABIDE  WITH  ME. 

This  was  the  Swan  Song  of  the  Rev.  H.  F.  Lyte.  He 
produced  it  on  the  evening  of  the  Sunday  on  which  he 
preached  his  last  sermon.  It  is  generally  used  as  an 
evening  hymn.  It  was  not  so  intended.  It  refers  to 
the  evening  of  life,  not  of  the  day,  and  is  more  of  a 
hymn  for  the  dying  than  for  those  about  to  renew  their 
strength  by  a  night's  rest.  It  was  sung  at  the  burial  of 
Professor  Maurice,  and  is  in  constant  use  throughout 
the  English-speaking  world.  Lyte  is  buried  in  Nice,  and 
his  grave  is  still  sometimes  sought  out  by  pilgrims  from 
far  across  the  seas  who  attribute  their  conversion  to 
this  hymn. 

ABIDE  with  me,  fast  falls  the  eventide  : 
The    darkness    thickens :    Lord,    with    me 
abide  ; 
When  other  helpers  fail,  and  comforts  flee, 
Help  of  the  helpless,  Oh  abide  with  me. 


208        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Swift  to  its  close  ebbs  out  life's  little  day: 
Earth's  joys  grow  dim,  its  glories  pass  away; 
Change  and  decay  in  all  around  I  see  : 

0  Thou  who  changest  not,  abide  with  me. 

Not  a  brief  glance  I  beg,  a  passing  word, 
But  as  Thou  dwell'st  with  Thy  disciples,  Lord,  — 
Familiar,  condescending,  patient,  free, — 
Come  not  to  sojourn,  but  abide  with  me. 

Come  not  in  terrors,  as  the  King  of  kings, 
But  kind  and  good,  with  healing  in  Thy  wings; 
Tears  for  ail  woes,  a  heart  for  even'  plea ; 
Come,  Friend  of  sinners,  thus  abide  with  me. 

1  need  Thy  presence  every  passing  hour  ; 

What  but  Thy  grace  can  foil  the  tempter's  power? 
Who  like  Thyself  my  guide  and  stay  can  be  ? 
Through  cloud  and  sunshine,  O  abide  with  me. 

I  fear  no  foe,  with  Thee  at  hand  to  bless, 
Ills  have  no  weight,  and  tears  no  bitterness. 
Where  is  Death's  sting  ?  where,  Grave,  thy  victory  ? 
I  triumph  still,  if  Thou  abide  with  me. 

Hold  Thou  Thy  cross  before  my  closing  eyes, 

Shine  through    the  gloom,   and  point  me   to   the 
skies  : 

Heaven's  morning  breaks,  and  earth's  vain  shad- 
ows flee ; 

In  life,  in  death,  O  Lord,  abide  with  me. 

Tune  —  "  Eventide." 

Mrs.  Mona  Caird's  three  favourite  hymns  are,  "  Lead, 
Kindly  Light,"  "As  pants  the  Hart,"  and  "Abide  with 
me."  "  These  three,"  she  says,  "  possess  for  me  the 
stay  and  power  of  succour.  They  seem  to  refer  me 
back  to  the  great  unknown  in  which  and  in  whom  all 
of  us  believe,  whatever  name  we  may  give  to  oui 
divinity." 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.       209 


H3  —  AT  EVEN,  ERE  THE  SUN  WAS  SET* 

Evening  hymns  are  much  more  popular  than  those  for 
morning  use.  And  among  evening  hymns  few  are 
better  known  or  more  used  than  this,  written  by  Canon 
T wells  in  1868. 

AT  even,  ere  the  sun  was  set, 
The  sick,  O  Lord,  around  Thee  lay; 
O  in  what  divers  pains  they  met ! 
O  with  what  joy  they  went  away ! 

Once  more  'tis  eventide,  and  we, 

Oppressed  with  various  ills,  draw  near. 

What  if  thy  form  we  cannot  see  ? 

We  know  and  feel  that  Thou  art  here. 

O  Saviour  Christ,  our  woes  dispel ; 

For  some  are  sick  and  some  are  sad ; 
And  some  have  never  loved  Thee  well, 

And  some  have  lost  the  love  they  had. 

And  some  are  pressed  with  worldly  care, 
And  some  are  tried  with  sinful  doubt ; 

And  some  such  grievous  passions  tear 
That  only  Thou  canst  cast  them  out. 

And  some  have  found  the  world  is  vain, 
Yet  from  the  world  they  break  not  free  : 

And  some  have  friends  who  give  them  pain, 
Yet  have  not  sought  a  friend  in  Thee. 

And  none,  O  Lord,  have  perfect  rest, 
For  none  are  wholly  free  from  sin  ; 

And  they  who  fain  would  serve  Thee  best, 
Are  conscious  most  of  wrong  within. 

O  Saviour  Christ,  Thou  too  art  man ; 

Thou  hast  been  troubled,  tempted,  tried  ; 
Thy  kind  but  searching  glance  can  scan 

The  very  wounds  that  shame  would  hide  : 

. U 


2IO        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Thy  touch  has  still  its  ancient  power; 

No  word  from  Thee  can  fruitless  fall; 
Hear  in  this  solemn  evening  hour, 

And  in  thy  mercy  heal  us  all. 

Tune—  "  Angelus." 

William  Johnston,  M.P.,  the  well-known  Orange 
leader,  said :  "  No  hymn  now  touches  me  more  than 
that  pathetic  one, '  At  Even,  ere  the  Sun  was  set ; '  the 
verse  beginning,  '  O  Saviour  Christ '  would  be  too  pain- 
ful but  for  the  Healer's  power." 

U4—  SAVIOUR,  AGAIN  TO  THY  DEAR 

NAME. 

This  evening  hymn  is  the  most  popular  of  all  the 
hymns  of  the  Rev.  John  Ellerton.  He  wrote  it  for  a 
festival  of  parochial  choirs  in  Nantwich  in  1866,  and  in 
less  than  thirty  years  it  has  sung  its  way  around  the 
world. 

SAVIOUR,  again  to  Thy  dear  name  we  raise 
With  one  accord  our  parting  hymn  of  praise ; 
We  stand  to  bless  Thee  ere  our  worship  cease, 
Then,  lowly  kneeling,  wait  Thy  word  of  peace. 

Grant   us   Thy   peace   through   this    approaching 

night ; 
Turn  Thou  for  us  its  darkness  into  light; 
From  harm  and  danger  keep  Thy  children  free, 
P'or  dark  and  light  are  both  alike  to  Thee. 

Grant  us  Thy  peace  upon  our  homeward  way ; 
With  Thee  began,  with  Thee  shall  end  the  day ; 
Guard  Thou   the  lips  from   sin,  the   hearts  from 

shame, 
That  in  this  house  have  cali'd  upon  Thy  name. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.        211 


Grant  us  Thy  peace  throughout  our  earthly  life, 
Our  balm  in  sorrow,  and  our  stay  in  strife  ; 
Then,  when  Thy  voice  shall  bid  our  conflict  cease, 
Call  us,  O  Lord,  to  Thine  eternal  peace. 

Tune  — "Pax  Dei." 

U5-  SWEET  SAVIOUR,  BLESS  US  ERE 

WE  GO. 

This  is  Faber's  evening  hymn.  Faber  published  it  in 
1852,  sue  years  after  he  quitted  the  English  for  the 
Roman  Church. 

SWEET  Saviour,  bless  us  ere  we  go; 
Thy  word  into  our  minds  instil ; 
And  make  our  lukewarm  hearts  to  glow 

With  lowly  love  and  fervent  will. 
Through  life's  long  day  and  death's  dark  night, 
O  gentle  Jesus,  be  our  light. 

Grant  us,  dear  Lord,  from  evil  ways 

True  absolution  and  release  ; 
And  bless  us  more  than  in  past  days 

With  purity  and  inward  peace. 
Through  life's  long  day  and  death's  dark  night, 
O  gentle  Jesus,  be  our  light. 

Do  more  than  pardon  ;  give  us  joy, 

Sweet  fear  and  sober  liberty  ; 
And  loving  hearts  without  alloy, 

That  only  long  to  be  like  thee. 
Through  life's  long  day  and  death's  dark  night, 
O  gentle  Jesus,  be  our  light. 

Labour  is  sweet,  for  thou  hast  toiled; 

And  care  is  light,  for  thou  hast  cared  ; 
Let  not  our  works  with  self  be  soiled, 

Nor  in  unsimple  ways  insnared. 


212        HYMNS   THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


Through  life's  long  day  and  death's  dark  night, 
O  gentle  Jesus,  be  our  light. 

For  all  we  love  — -the  poor,  the  sad, 

The  sinful  —  unto  thee  we  call ; 
Oh  let  thy  mercy  make  us  glad ; 

Thou  art  our  Jesus  and  our  all. 
Through  life's  long  day  and  death's  dark  night, 
O  gentle  Jesus,  be  our  light. 

Tune  —  "St.  Matthias." 

It  was  written  for  use  as  the  evening  hymn  at  the 
Brompton  Oratory.  The  last  verse,  omitted  from 
Protestant   hymn-books,  is  as  follows  :  — 

Sweet  Saviour !  bless  us ;  night  is  come. 

Mary  and  Philip  near  us  be. 
Good  angels  watch  about  our  home, 

May  we  each  day  be  nearer  Thee. 
Through  life's  long  day  and  death's  dark  night, 
O  gentle  Jesus,  be  our  light. 

Philip  was  St.  Philip  Neri.     In  Catholic  hymn-books 
he  is  usually  superseded  by  Joseph. 

U6-  SAVIOUR,  BREATHE  AN  EVENING 

BLESSING. 

This  hymn  is  one  of  the  few  which  we  owe  indirectly  to 
the  somewhat  savage  Christianity  of  Abyssinia.  Dr. 
Edmeston,  its  author,  was  so  much  impressed  by  read- 
ing an  account  by  a  traveller  in  Abyssinia  of  how  at 
night  the  short  evening  hymn  of  the  Abyssinian,  "  Jesus 
Mahaxaroo,"  "  Jesus,  forgive  us,"  stole  through  the 
camp,  that  he  composed  this  hymn,  which  has  since  been 
accepted  everywhere  as  one  of  the  best  evening  hymns 
in  the  language. 


s 


AVIOUR,  breathe  an  evening  blessing, 
Ere  repose  our  spirits  seal ; 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        213 

Sin  and  want  we  come  confessing : 
Thou  canst  save  and  Thou  canst  heal. 

Though  destruction  walk  around  us, 
Though  the  arrows  past  us  fly, 

Angel-guards  from  Thee  surround  us  ; 
We  are  safe  if  Thou  art  nigh. 

Though  the  night  be  dark  and  dreary, 

Darkness  cannot  hide  from  Thee; 
Thou  art  He,  who,  never  weary, 

Watchest  where  Thy  people  be. 
Should  swift  death  this  night  o'ertake  us, 

And  our  couch  become  our  tomb, 
May  the  morn  in  heaven  awake  us, 

Clad  in  light  and  deathless  bloom. 

Tune —  "  Florence." 


JJ7  — GLORY  TO   THEE,  MY  GOD,  THIS 

NIGHT. 

This  is  Bishop  Ken's  evening  hymn,  —  a  hymn  the 
music  of  which  has  become  the  common  slumber-song 
of  the  English-speaking  race. 

GLORY  to  Thee,  my  God,  this  night, 
For  all  the  blessings  of  the  light. 
Keep  me,  O  keep  me,  King  of  kings, 
Beneath  Thine  own  almighty  wings. 

Forgive  me,  Lord,  for  Thy  dear  Son, 
The  ill  that  I  this  day  have  done  ; 
That  with  the  world,  myself,  and  Thee, 
I,  ere  I  sleep,  at  peace  may  be. 

Teach  me  to  live,  that  I  may  dread, 
The  grave  as  little  as  my  bed : 
Teach  me  to  die,  that  so  I  may 
Rise  glorious  at  the  judgment-day. 


214   HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Oh  may  my  soul  on  Thee  repose, 
And  with  sweet  sleep  mine  eyelids  close ;  — 
Sleep  that  may  me  more  vigorous  make, 
To  serve  my  God  when  I  awake. 

When  in  the  night  I  sleepless  lie, 
My  soul  with  heavenly  thoughts  supply; 
Let  no  ill  dreams  disturb  my  rest, 
No  powers  of  darkness  me  molest. 

Oh  !  when  shall  I  in  endless  day, 
For  ever  chase  dark  sleep  away, 
And  hymns  with  the  supernal  choir 
Incessant  sing,  and  never  tire? 

Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow : 
Praise  Him,  all  creatures  here  below: 
Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  host : 
Praise  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 

Tune  —  "Canon"  by  Tallis. 

Archdeacon  Sinclair,  writing  on  this  hymn,  which  he 
often  repeats  to  himself  the  last  thing  before  going  to 
sleep,  says  that  "  Its  majesty,  simplicity,  and  ring  of 
truth  are  unequalled.  To  live  in  the  spirit  of  this  hymn 
would  be  the  ideal  of  Christian  life." 


XIV.— Work 

J18-A  CHARGE  TO  KEEP  I  HAVE. 

The  last  line  of  this  familiar  hymn  offends  some  people. 
But  it  can  be  used  without  difficulty  even  by  those  who 
are  most  in  revolt  against  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punish- 
ment. At  the  same  time,  there  is  something  so  grim 
in  singing  even  the  sentence  of  doom  that  I  would  have 
left  it  out  had  the  hymn  not  helped  so  many  that  it 
must  stay  in. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        215 

A  CHARGE  to  keep  I  have, 
A  God  to  glorify  ; 
A  never-dying  soul  to  save, 
And  fit  it  for  the  sky; 
To  serve  the  present  age, 
My  calling  to  fulfil ;  — 
O  may  it  all  my  powers  engage 
To  do  my  Master's  will. 

Arm  me  with  jealous  care, 

As  in  Thy  sight  to  live ; 
And  Oh  !  Thy  servant,  Lord,  prepare 

A  strict  account  to  give  : 

Help  me  to  watch  and  pray, 

And  on  Thyself  rely, 
Assured,  if  I  my  trust  betray, 

I  shall  for  ever  die. 

Tune  — "Vigil." 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Richardson,  vicar  of  St.  Benet's, 
Mile  End  Road,  who  founded  the  Bible  and  Prayer 
Union,  which  has  now  334,000  enrolled  members  in 
every  part  of  the  world,  says  that  this  hymn  has  been 
the  creed  of  his  Christian  life  and  active  work  for  the 
past  thirty-four  years. 

J19  —  LONGFELLOW'S  PSALM  OF  LIFE. 

This  does  not  properly  rank  as  a  hymn,  and  although 
it  is  called  a  psalm,  it  figures  in  very  few  collections  of 
sacred  song.  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  however,  says  it  is 
one  of  the  hymns  that  helped  him,  and  as  others  have 
expressed  a  similar  opinion,  I  give  it  a  place. 

TELL  me  not,  in  mournful  numbers, 
"  Life  is  but  an  empty  dream  ! " 
For  the  soul  is  dead  that  slumbers, 
And  things  are  not  what  they  seem. 


2l6        HYMNS  THAT    HAVE   HELPED. 

Life  is  real !  life  is  earnest ! 

And  the  grave  is  not  its  goal ; 
"  Dust  thou  art,  to  dust  returnest," 

Was  not  spoken  of  the  soul. 

Not  enjoyment  and  not  sorrow, 

Is  our  destined  end  or  way  ; 
But  to  act,  that  each  to-morrow 

Find  us  farther  than  to-day. 

Art  is  long,  and  time  is  fleeting, 

And  our  hearts,  though  stout  and  brave, 

Still,  like  muffled  drums,  are  beating 
Funeral  marches  to  the  grave. 

In  the  world's  broad  field  of  battle, 

In  the  bivouac  of  life, 
Be  not  like  dumb,  driven  cattle,  — 

Be  a  hero  in  the  strife  ! 

Trust  no  future,  howe'er  pleasant  ! 

Let  the  dead  Past  bury  its  dead  ! 
Act,  —  act  in  the  living  Present, 

Heart  within  and  God  o'erhead  ! 

Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us  ; 

We  can  make  our  lives  sublime 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us 

Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time. 

The  proprietor  of  the  South  Wales  Gazette  maintains 
that  the  "  Psalm  of  Life  "  is  "  singularly  suitable  for 
congregational  singing,  and  has  been  helpful  to  many  a 
soul  assailed  by  the  twin  forces  of  pessimism  and  de- 
spair." Of  this  poem  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  says  :  "  I  have 
liked  and  lived  by  Longfellow's  '  Psalm  of  Life.'  "  Mr. 
Harry  Furniss  says  that  Longfellow's  "  Psalm  of  Life  " 
is  to  him  the  best  of  hymns,  and  "  I  must  acknowledge 
that  I  frequently  repeated  the  stanza  '  Let  us,  then,  be 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.       21 7 

up  and  doing  '  in  my  early  days."  He  adds  :  "I  do  not 
know  whether  this  comes  in  the  category  of  hymns, 
but  if  it  does  not,  it  ought  to."  The  Rev.  Samuel 
Longfellow,  brother  of  Henry,  wrote  several  hymns 
which  the  Rev.  Minot  J.  Savage  says  the  Unitarians 
in  the   United   States  find  exceedingly  helpful. 

J20-  GOETHE'S  "OHNE  HAST  UND  OHNE 

RAST" 

Goethe's  hymn  I  have  taken  from  "  Hymns  and  An- 
thems "  used  at  the  South  Place  Chapel.  I  would  have 
liked  to  include  the  verses  which  Mr.  Morley  said  came 
nearer  expressing  his  ultimate  thought  than  anything 
else,  but  I  could  not  drag  them  even  into  my  very  wide 
net.     So  I  content  myself  with  this. 

WITHOUT  haste  and  without  rest : 
Bind  the  motto  to  thy  breast, 
Bear  it  with  thee  as  a  spell ; 
Storm  or  sunshine,  guard  it  well ! 
Heed  not  flowers  that  round  thee  bloom  ; 
Bear  it  onward  to  the  tomb ! 

Haste  not  — let  no  thoughtless  deed 
Mar  the  spirit's  steady  speed  ; 
Ponder  well  and  know  the  right, 
Onward  then  with  all  thy  might ; 
Haste  not —  years  can  ne'er  atone 
For  one  reckless  action  done  ! 

Rest  not  —  life  is  sweeping  by, 
Do  and  dare  before  you  die  ; 
Something  worthy  and  sublime 
Leave  behind  to  conquer  time  : 
Glorious  't  is  to  live  for  aye, 
When  these  forms  have  passed  away. 


2l8        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

Haste  not —  rest  not,  calm  in  strife 
Meekly  bear  the  storms  of  life  ; 
Duty  be  thy  polar  guide, 
Do  the  right  whate'er  betide; 
Haste  not  —  rest  not — conflicts  past, 
God  shall  crown  thy  work  at  last ! 

J2J- WORKMAN  OF  GOD,  O  LOSE  NOT 

HEART. 

This  —  another  contribution  of  Faber's  to  thehymnody- 
of  the  Church  Universal  —  is  M  As  lofty  as  the  love  of 
God,  and  wide  as  are  the  wants  of  men." 

WORKMAN  of  God,  O  lose  not  heart, 
But  learn  what  God  is  like  ; 
And  in  the  darkest  battle-field 
Thou  shalt  know  where  to  strike. 

Thrice  blest  is  he  to  whom  is  given 

The  instinct  that  can  tell 
That  God  is  on  the  field  when  He 

Is  most  invisible. 

Blest  too  is  he  who  can  divine 

Where  real  right  doth  lie, 
And  dares  to  take  the  side  that  seems 

Wrong  to  man's  blindfold  eye. 

God's  glory  is  a  wondrous  thing, 

Most  strange  in  all  its  ways; 
And,  of  all  things  on  earth,  least  like 

What  men  agree  to  praise. 

Muse  on  His  justice,  downcast  soul, 

Muse,  and  take  better  heart ; 
Back  with  thine  angel  to  the  field, 

And  bravely  do  thy  part. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        219 


For  right  is  right,  since  God  is  God  ; 

And  right  the  day  must  win  ; 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 

To  falter  would  be  sin. 

J22-WORK,  FOR  THE  NIGHT  IS  COMING. 

Years  ago,  when  the  Darlington  School  Board  was 
wrestling  with  the  religious  difficulties,  a  local  disciple 
of  Mr.  Bradiaugh  subjected  Sankey's  hymns  to  a  criti- 
cal examination,  with  the  result  that  this  hymn,  "  Work, 
for  the  night  is  coming,"  was  declared  to  be  the  only 
hymn  in  the  book  that  could  be  used  in  the  Board 
Schools  without  giving  offence  to  the  Secularist 
conscience. 

WORK,  for  the  night  is  coming  ! 
Work  through  the  morning  hours; 
Work  while  the  dew  is  sparkling, 

Work  'mid  springing  flowers: 
Work  when  the  day  grows  brighter, 

Work  in  the  glowing  sun  ; 

Work,  for  the  night  is  coming, 

When  man's  work  is  done. 

Work,  for  the  night  is  coming, 

Work  through  the  sunny  noon : 
Fill  brightest  hours  with  labour, 

Rest  comes  sure  and  soon. 
Give  every  flying  minute 

Something  to  keep  in  store  : 
Work,  for  the  night  is  coming, 

When  man  works  no  more. 

Work,  for  the  night  is  coming, 

Under  the  sunset  skies  ! 
While  their  bright  tints  are  glowing 

Work,  for  daylight  flies. 


220        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Work  till  the  last  beam  fadeth, 

Fadeth  to  shine  no  more  : 
Work  while  the  night  is  dark'ning, 

When  man's  work  is  o'er. 

Tune  from  "  Songs  and  Solos." 

J23  — COURAGE,  BROTHER!  DO  NOT 
STUMBLE. 

This  cheery  marching  song  by  the  late  Dr.  Norman 
Macleod  has  a  lilt  and  a  go  in  it  which  are  quite  suffi- 
cient to  explain  its  popularity.  It  is  also  free  from 
any  objection  as  to  sectarian  bias. 

COURAGE,  brother!  do  not  stumble, 
Though  thy  path  be  dark  as  night ; 
There 's  a  star  to  guide  the  humble ;  — 
Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 

Let  the  road  be  rough  and  dreary, 

And  its  end  far  out  of  sight, 
Foot  it  bravely  !  strong  or  weary, 

Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 

Perish  policy  and  cunning, 
Perish  all  that  fears  the  light ! 

Whether  losing,  whether  winning, 
Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 

Trust  no  party,  sect,  or  faction  ; 

Trust  no  leaders  in  the  fight ;. 
But  in  every  word  and  action 

Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 

Trust  no  lovely  forms  of  passion,  — 
Fiends  may  look  like  angels  bright ; 

Trust  no  custom,  school,  or  fashion  — 
Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.       221 

Simple  rule,  and  safest  guiding, 
Inward  peace,  and  inward  might, 

Star  upon  our  path  abiding,  — 
Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 

Some  will  hate  thee,  some  will  love  thee, 
Some  will  flatter,  some  will  slight; 

Cease  from  man,  and  look  above  thee,  — 
Trust  in  God,  and  do  the  right. 

Tune  — "St.  Oswald." 

124 -STANDING  BY  A  PURPOSE  TRUE. 

This  little  hymn,  by  Philip  Bliss,  Edna  Lyall  specially 
mentioned  as  one  which  had  helped  her.  It  is  quaint, 
but  it  has  helped  many  another  to  learn  the  lesson 
which  is  perhaps  of  all  others  most  difficult  to  learn. 

STANDING  by  a  purpose  true, 
Heeding  God's  command, 
Honour  them,  the  faithful  few  ! 
All  hail  to  Daniel's  Band  ! 

Dare  to  be  a  Daniel !    Dare  to   stand 

alone  ! 
Dare  to  have  a  purpose  firm !  Dare  to 
make  it  known ! 

Many  mighty  men  are  lost, 

Daring  not  to  stand, 
Who  for  God  had  been  a  host, 

By  joining  Daniel's  Band. 

Many  giants,  great  and  tall, 

Stalking  through  the  land, 
Headlong  to  the  earth  would  fall, 

If  met  by  Daniel's  Band  ! 


222        HYMNS  THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

Hold  the  gospel  banner  high  ! 

/On  to  victory  grand  ! 
Satan  and  his  host  defy, 

And  shout  for  Daniel's  Band  ! 

Tune  from  "  Songs  and  Solos." 

Edna  Lyall  wrote  :  "  I  can  certainly  say  that  the  re- 
frain of  '  Dare  to  be  a  Daniel '  has  helped  me  again 
and  again.  I  do  not  know  the  rest  of  the  hymn  well, 
and  some  of  it  is  rather  funny,  still  I  think  it  ought  to 
be  in  the  hymn-book." 

125-  RESCUE  THE  PERISHING. 

1  In  1885,  in  the  outburst  of  public  feeling  that  followed 
the  publication  of  The  Maiden  Tribute,  "  Rescue  the 
Perishing  "  was  the  hymn  that  was  always  sung  at  every 
public  meeting  in  connection  with  that  agitation. 

RESCUE  the  perishing,  care  for  the  dying  — 
Snatch  them  in  pity  from  sin  and  the  grave ; 
Weep  o'er  the  erring  one,  lift  up  the  fallen  — - 
Tell  them  of  Jesus,  the  mighty  to  save. 

Rescue  the  perishing,  care  for  the  dying  — 
Jesus  is  merciful,  Jesus  will  save. 

Though  they  a«  slighting  Him,  still  He  is  wait- 
ing- 
Waiting  the  penitent  child  to  receive. 

Plead  with  them  earnestly,  plead  with  them  gently : 
He  will  forgive  if  they  only  believe. 

Down  in  the  human  heart,  crushed  by  the  tempter, 
Feelings  lie  buried  that  grace  can  restore  ; 

Touched  by  a  loving  heart,  wakened  by  kindness, 
Chords  that  were  broken  will  vibrate  once  more. 


HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED.        223 


Rescue  the  perishing  —  duty  demands  it; 

Strength  for  thy  labour  the  Lord  will  provide ; 
Back  to  the  narrow  way  patiently  win  them ; 

Tell  the  poor  wanderer  a  Saviour  has  died. 

Tune  from  "  Songs  and  Solos." 

J26- SOWING  THE  SEED, 

This  hymn  is  from  Sankey's  collection,  but,  despite  the 
criticism  quoted  on  Hymn  i  22,  it  could  surely  be  used 
by  any  assemblage  that  admitted  the  moral  responsi- 
bility of  man. 

SOWING  the  seed  by  the  dawn-light  fair, 
Sowing  the  seed  by  the  noonday  glare, 
Sowing  the  seed  by  the  fading  light, 
Sowing  the  seed  in  the  solemn  night : 
Oh,  what  shall  the  harvest  be? 
Oh,  what  shall  the  harvest  be? 

Sown  in  the  darkness  or  sown  in  the  light, 
Sown  in  our  weakness  or  sown  in  our  might ; 
Gathered  in  time  or  eternity, 
Sure,  ah!  sure,  will  the  harvest  be  ! 

Sowing  the  seed  by  the  wayside  high, 
Sowing  the  seed  on  the  rocks  to  die  ; 
Sowing  the  seed  where  the  thorns  will  spoil, 
Sowing  the  seed  in  the  fertile  soil : 
Oh,  what  shall  the  harvest  be  ? 

Sowing  the  seed  of  a  ling'ring  pain, 
Sowing  the  seed  of  a  maddened  brain, 
Sowing  the  seed  of  a  tarnished  name, 
Sowing  the  seed  of  eternal  shame  : 
Oh,  what  shall  the  harvest  be  ? 

Sowing  the  seed  with  an  aching  heart, 
Sowing  the  seed  while  the  tear-drops  start, 


224       HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

Sowing  in  hope  till  the  reapers  come 
Gladly  to  gather  the  harvest  home  : 
Oh,  what  shall  the  harvest  be? 

Tune  by  Mr.  Bliss. 

XV*  —  One  is  your  Father* 

This  section  of  this  collection  is  devoted  to  hymns 
which  help,  not  in  the  ordinary  way.  They,  indeed, 
seldom  appear  in  hymn-books  —  the  more  's  the  pity. 
But  they  help  many  who  find  too  much  to  dissent  from 
in  ordinary  hymns  to  find  any  help  therein. 

J27-THE  UNIVERSAL  PRAYER. 

FATHER  of  All !  in  ev'ry  Age, 
In  ev'ry  Clime  ador'd, 
By  Saint,  by  Savage,  and  by  Sage, 
Jehovah,  Jove,  or  Lord  ! 

Thou  Great  First  Cause,  least  understood, 

Who  all  my  Sense  confin'd 
To  know  but  this,  that  Thou  art  Good, 

And  that  myself  am  blind : 

Yet  gave  me,  in  this  dark  Estate, 

To  see  the  Good  from  111 ; 
And  binding  Nature  fast  in  Fate, 

Left  free  the  Human  Will. 

What  Conscience  dictates  to  be  done, 

Or  warns  me  not  to  do, 
This,  teach  me  more  than  Hell  to  shun, 

That,  more  than  Heav'n  pursue. 

What  Blessings  thy  free  Bounty  gives, 

Let  me  not  cast  away ; 
For  God  is  pay'd  when  Man  receives; 

T'  enjoy  is  to  obey. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        225 

Yet  not  to  Earth's  contracted  Span 

Thy  Goodness  let  me  bound, 
Or  think  Thee  Lord  alone  of  Man, 

When  thousand  Worlds  are  round. 

Let  not  this  weak,  unknowing  hand 

Presume  thy  bolts  to  throw, 
And  deal  damnation  round  the  land, 

On  each  I  judge  thy  Foe. 

If  I  am  right,  thy  grace  impart, 

Still  in  the  right  to  stay; 
If  I  am  wrong,  oh,  teach  my  heart 

To  find  that  better  way. 

Save  me  alike  from  foolish  Pride, 

Or  impious  Discontent, 
At  aught  thy  Wisdom  has  deny'd 

Or  aught  thy  Goodness  lent. 

Teach  me  to  feel  another's  Woe, 

To  hide  the  Fault  I  see ; 
That  Mercy  I  to  others  show, 

That  Mercy  show  to  me. 

Mean  tho'  I  am,  not  wholly  so, 
Since  quick'ned  by  thy  Breath  ; 

Oh  lead  me  wheresoe'er  I  go, 
Thro'  this  day's  Life  or  Death. 

This  day,  be  Bread  and  Peace  my  Lot : 

All  else  beneath  the  Sun, 
Thou  know'st  if  best  bestow'd  or  not ; 

And  let  Thy  Will  be  done. 

To  thee,  whose  Temple  is  all  Space, 
Whose  Altar  Earth,  Sea.  Skies, 

One  Chorus  let  all  Being  raise, 
All  Nature's  Incense  rise  ! 

i<  Tune  — "  Abridge." 


226        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE    HELPED. 

Pope,  the  author  of  this  hymn,  was  a  Roman  Catho- 
lic by  creed.  But  in  the  above  hymn  he  is  catholic 
indeed. 

A  correspondent  wrote  me  on  behalf  of  some  young 
Japanese  friends,  asking  especially  for  the  insertion  of 
this  hymn  in  the  hope  that  "  the  time  may  come  when 
even  Christians,  especially  insular  Protestant  Christians, 
will  arise  to  the  full  conception  of  the  Holy  One 
(Blessed  be  He!),  that  He  has  made  of  one  Blood  and 
of  many  honest  beliefs  all  nations  of  the  earth.  In 
centuries  hence,  if  the  progress  we  hope  for  will  be 
realised,  surely  hymns  will  be  found  or  written  in  which 
all  nations  can  join." 

A  correspondent  in  Italy  writes  of  this  hymn  :  "  My 
grandfather  made  me  learn  it  when  I  was  five  years  old, 
and  since  then  it  has  stuck  to  my  memory  as  almost  a 
kind  of  active  faith,  when  things  in  the  world  in  general 
seem  wrong,  and  faith  is  very  feeble.  At  such  times 
there  is  wonderful  rest  in  the  poem,  something  quite 
above  our  usual  petty  ideas." 

J28- IMMORTAL   LOVE,  FOR   EVER  FULL. 

Whittier,  the  Quaker  poet,  wrote  poems  which  have 
passed  into  general  use  as  hymns,  even  among  the 
Friends,  who  are  not  much  given  to  hymn-singing. 

IMMORTAL  Love,  for  ever  full, 
For  ever  flowing  free, 
For  ever  shared,  for  ever  whole, 
A  never-ebbing  sea ! 

Our  outward  lips  confess  the  Name 

All  other  names  above; 
Love  only  knoweth  whence  it  came 

And  comprehendeth  love. 

We  may  not  climb  the  heavenly  steeps 
To  bring  the  Lord  Christ  down  ; 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        227 

In  vain  we  search  the  lowest  deeps, 
For  him  no  depths  can  drown. 

But  warm,  sweet,  tender,  even  yet 

A  present  help  is  he  : 
And  faith  has  still  its  Olivet, 

And  love  its  Galilee. 

The  healing  of  his  seamless  dress 

Is  by  our  beds  of  pain ; 
We  touch  him  in  life's  throng  and  press, 

And  we  are  whole  again. 

Through  him  the  first  fond  prayers  are  said 

Our  lips  of  childhood  frame,' 
The  last  low  whispers  of  our  dead 

Are  burdened  with  his  name. 

O  Lord  and  Master  of  us  all ! 

Whate'er  our  name  or  sign, 
We  own  thy  sway,  we  hear  thy  call, 

We  test  our  lives  by  thine. 

Tune  —  u  Albano."' 

J29-OUR     FRIEND,  OUR    BROTHER,  AND 

OUR  LORD. 

OL'R  Friend,  our  Brother,  and  our  Lord, 
What  may  thy  sen-ice  be  ? 
Nor  name,  nor  form,  nor  ritual  word, 
But  simply  following  thee. 

Thy  litanies,  sweet  offices 

Of  love  and  gratitude  ; 
Thv  sacramental  liturgies 

The  joy  of  doing  good. 


228        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

The  heart  must  ring  thy  Christmas  bells, 

Thy  inward  altars  raise  ; 
Its  faith  and  hopes  thy  canticles, 

And  its  obedience  praise  ! 

To  thee  our  full  humanity, 

Its  joys  and  pains  belong ; 
The  wrong  of  man  to  man  on  thee 

Inflicts  a  deeper  wrong. 

We  faintly  hear,  we  dimly  see, 

In  differing  phrase  we  pray; 
But,  dim  or  clear,  we  own  thee 

The  Light,  the  Truth,  the  Way ! 

Apart  from  thee  all  gain  is  loss, 

All  labour  vainly  done  ; 
The  solemn  shadow  of  thy  cross 

Is  better  than  the  sun. 

Alone,  O  Love  ineffable  ! 

Thy  saving  name  is  given  ; 
To  turn  aside  from  thee  is  hell, 

To  walk  with  thee  is  heaven. 

Tune—  "  St.  Hugh." 

In  reply  to  an  enquiry  as  to  what  hymns  had  helped 
her  and  her  fellow-workers  in  the  struggle  which  they 
carried  on  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  against  the  criminal 
system  of  state-patronised  vice,  Mrs.  Josephine  Butler 
replied  :  "  Strange  to  say,  I  find  it  very  difficult  to  select 
any  special  hymn  which  helped  me  in  my  soul  or  in  my 
work.  Psalms  have  been  above  all  else  '  Songs  in  the 
house  of  my  pilgrimage,'  but  YVhittier's  '  Our  Master ' 
was  most  helpful  to  me  in  connection  with  the  wide 
circle  of  persons  of  different  countries,  creeds,  and 
characters  with  whom  I  have  been  sent  to  work  —  dear 
souls  —  to  whom  I  am  united  in  the  common  aim  of 
seeking  after  righteousness,  but  some  of  whom  seemed 
of  the  narrowly  orthodox,  to  be  very  unsatisfactory  on 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        229 

the  religious  side.  God  has  given  me  a  wider  outlook, 
and  a  far  greater  charity  based  on  an  increasing  admira- 
tion of  all  good.  This  hymn  of  Whittier  will  explain 
what  I  mean,  and  show  you  where  my  tempest-tossed 
bark  has  found  a  haven  in  calm  waters." 

J30  — LORD  OF  ALL  BEING,  THRONED 

AFAR. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  the  Autocrat  of  the 
Breakfast  Table,  was  a  Unitarian.  He  published  this 
as  a  Sunday  hymn  on  the  last  page  of  the  "  Professor  of 
the  Breakfast  Table."  It  was  speedily  exploited  as  a 
hymn   by  the   Methodists. 

LORD  of  all  being,  throned  afar. 
Thy  glory  flames  from  sun  and  star ; 
Centre  and  soul  of  every  sphere, 
Yet  to  each  loving  heart  how  near. 

Sun  of  our  life,  thy  quickening  ray 
Sheds  on  our  path  the  glow  of  day ; 
Star  of  our  hope,  thy  softened  light 
Cheers  the  long  watches  of  the  night. 

Our  midnight  is  thy  smile  withdrawn ; 
Our  noontide  is  thy  gracious  dawn ; 
Our  rainbow  arch,  thy  mercy's  sign ; 
All,  save  the  clouds  of  sin,  are  thine. 

Lord  of  all  life,  below,  above, 

Whose  light  is  truth,  whose  warmth  is  love, 

Before  thy  ever-blazing  throne 

We  ask  no  lustre  of  our  own. 

Grant  us  thy  truth  to  make  us  free, 
And  kindly  hearts  that  burn  for  thee, 
Till  all  thy  living  altars  claim 
One  holy  light,  one  heavenly  flame. 

Tune —  "  Maryton." 


230        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

J3J— SOULS  OF  MEN!    WHY  WILL  YE 
SCATTER. 

This  contribution  to  the  universal  catholic  section  of 
my  collection  is  from  Faber,  the  Roman  Catholic.  It 
expresses  a  breadth  of  Christian  charity  not  often  found 
in  men  of  his  communion. 

SOULS  of  men  !  why  will  ye  scatter 
Like  a  crowd  of  frightened  sheep  ? 
Foolish  hearts !  why  will  ye  wander 
From  a  love  so  true  and  deep  ? 

Was  there  ever  kinder  shepherd 

Half  so  gentle,  half  so  sweet, 
As  the  Saviour  Who  would  have  us 

Come  and  gather  round  His  feet? 

There  's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 

Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea ; 
There  's  a  kindness  in  His  justice, 

Which  is  more  than  liberty. 

There  is  no  place  where  earth's  sorrows 
Are  more  felt  than  up  in  Heaven  ; 

There  is  no  place  where  earth's  failings 
Have  such  kindly  judgment  given. 

There  is  plentiful  redemption 

In  the  Blood  that  has  been  shed, ; 

There  is  joy  for  all  the  members 
In  the  sorrows  of  the  Head. 

For  the  love  of  God  is  broader 

Than  the  measures  of  man's  mind; 

And  the  Heart  of  the  Eternal 
Is  most  wonderfully  kind. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        23  I 

Pining  souls  !  come  nearer  Jesus, 
And  oh  !  come  not  doubting  thus, 

But  with  faith  that  trusts  more  bravely 
His  huge  tenderness  for  us. 

If  our  love  were  but  more  simple, 
We  should  take  Him  at  his  word  ; 

And  our  lives  would  be  all  sunshine 

In  the  sweetness  of  our  Lord.  Amen. 

Tune  — "Clarion." 

132  —  WHAT  I  LIVE  FOR. 

This  poem,  by  the  late  Mr.  G.  Linnaeus  Banks,  has 
been  sent  me  by  Mr.  Mayer,  of  the  Children's  Home, 
Bolton,  as  one  which  is  morally  and  spiritually  helpful 
to  the  people. 

I  LIVE  for  those  who  love  me, 
Whose  hearts  are  kind  and  true, 
For  the  heaven  that  smiles  above  me, 

And  awaits  my  spirit  too  ; 
For  all  human  ties  that  bind  me, 
For  the  task  by  God  assigned  me, 
For  the  bright  hopes  yet  to  find  me, 
And  the  good  that  I  can  do. 

I  live  to  learn  their  story 

Who  suffered  for  my  sake; 
To  emulate  their  glory, 

And  follow  in  their  wake  — 
Bards,  patriots,  martyrs,  sages, 
The  heroic  of  all  ages, 
Whose  deeds  crowd  history's  pages, 

And  Time's  great  volume  make. 

I  live  to  hold  communion 
With  all  that  is  divine, 


232        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

To  feel  there  is  a  union 

'Twixt  Nature's  heart  and  mine; 

To  profit  by  affliction, 

Reap  truth  from  fields  of  fiction, 

Grow  wiser  from  conviction, 
And  fulfil  God's  grand  design. 

I  live  to  hail  that  season, 

By  gifted  ones  foretold, 
When  men  shall  live  by  reason, 

And  not  alone  by  gold  ; 
When  man  to  man  united, 
And  every  wrong  thing  righted, 
The  whole  world  shall  be  lighted 

As  Eden  was  of  old. 

I  live  for  those  who  love  me, 
For  those  who  know  me  true, 

For  the  heaven  that  smiles  above  me, 
And  awaits  my  spirit  too  ; 

For  the  cause  that  lacks  assistance, 

For  the  wrong  that  needs  resistance, 

For  the  future  in  the  distance, 
And  the  good  that  I  can  do. 

133  —  THE  SPACIOUS  FIRMAMENT  ON 

HIGH. 

Addison's  paraphrase  of  the  Nineteenth  Psalm  is  a 
brief  and  popular  compendium  of  natural  theology. 
The  psalm  was  one  of  the  favourites  of  St.  Augustine. 

THE  spacious  firmament  on  high, 
With  all  the  blue  ethereal  sky, 
And  spangled  heavens,  —  a  shining  frame,  — 
Their  great  Original  proclaim. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        233 

The  unwearied  sun,  from  day  to  day, 
Doth  his  Creator's  power  display, 
And  publishes  to  every  land 
The  work  of  an  Almighty  hand. 

Soon  as  the  evening  shades  prevail. 
The  moon  takes  up  the  wondrous  tale, 
And,  nightly,  to  the  listening  earth, 
Repeats  the  story  of  her  birth  : 
Whilst  all  the  stars  that  round  her  burn, 
And  all  the  planets  in  their  turn, 
Confirm  the  tidings  as  they  roll, 
And  spread  the  truth  from  pole  to  pole. 

What  though,  in  solemn  silence  all 
Move  round  this  dark  terrestrial  ball ; 
What  though  no  real  voice  nor  sound 
Amidst  their  radiant  orbs  be  found  ; 
In  reason's  ear  they  all  rejoice, 
And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice; 
For  ever  singing  as  they  shine  — 
The  hand  that  made  us  is  Divine. 

Tune  — "Fulda." 

"  When  only  a  youngster  at  school,"  writes  a  corre- 
spondent in  the  Isle  of  Man,  "  Addison's  hymn  had 
more  attraction  for  me  than  a  story  in  the  '  Arabian 
Nights.'  "  This  is,  perhaps,  putting  it  rather  strongly  ; 
but,  when  a  boy  myself,  I  remember  well  committing 
it  to  memory,  and  the  pleasure  which  it  afforded  me, — 
pleasure  which,  curiously  enough,  is  linked  by  associa- 
tion with  the  effect  produced  by  the  first  time  I  read  a 
translation  of  Hesiod. 

Another  correspondent  -says  that  "  at  eight  this  hymn 
first  taught  me  what  poetry  meant." 


234        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

XVI.  — And   All    Ye   are   Brethren. 

J34— A  JEWISH  HYMN  THAT  HELPED. 

This  collection  of  Hymns  that  have  Helped  would  be 
incomplete  without,  at  least,  one  specimen  of  a  Jewish 
hymn,  and  one  or  two  which  have  helped  thousands  in 
the  Roman  Communion.  I  asked  Mr.  M.  H.  Spielmann, 
editor  of  the  Magazine  of  Art,  to  help  me  to  the  most 
helpful  Jewish  hymn.     He  replied  as  follows  :  — 

"  Jews  have  no  '  hymns,'  properly  so  called,  though 
they  have  many  poems  of  a  hymnal  sort,  taking  chieriy 
the  form  of  praise.  For  myself,  I  may  say  that  the 
1  Adown  Olam '  was  to  me  the  most  helpful  as  a  child 
and  youth,  and  was  the  point  de  depart,  and  the  base  of 
all  my  subsequent  reading,  theological  or  philosophical. 
It  is  not  merely  a  profession  of  faith,  it  is  the  complete 
exposition  of  the  Jewish  religion,  and  the  supremest 
expression  of  comfort  and  consolation,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  in  all  our  book  of  prayer." 

The  Rev.  F.  L,  Cohen,  joint  editor  of  the  Book  of 
Synagogue  Music,  has  kindly  sent  me  a  translation  of 
the  "Adon  'Olam,"  the  text  of  which  is  as  follows:  — 

ADON    'OLAM. 

THE  Universal  Master  reigned 
Ere  yet  created  things  took  shape  ; 
His  might  proclaimed  Him  King  of  all 
When  He  to  all  existence  gave  ;• 

And  after  all  shall  pass  away, 
'T  is  He  alone  shall  grandly  reign, 
Who  was,  and  is,  and  still  shall  be  : 
His  glories  all  our  worship  have. 

For  He  is  One,  no  other  power 
Compares  with  Him,  with  Him  consorts; 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.       235 

Without  beginning,  free  from  end, 
Above  what  splendour  men  may  crave. 

[Without  corporeality, 
From  change  and  variation  free, 
As  unconjoined  as  undetached, 
Alone  in  matchless  power  to  save.] 

He  is  my  God,  my  Saviour  lives, 
My  Rock  in  travail's  time  of  woe; 
My  Banner  and  my  Refuge  He, 
My  Draught  of  Life  when  help  I  crave. 

Into  His  hand  my  soul  I  trust, 
Both  when  I  sleep  and  when  I  wake  ; 
And  with  my  soul  my  body  too : 
God  is  with  me,  no  fears  enslave. 

F.  L.  C. 
N.B.  —  The  verse  in  brackets  above  is  usually  omitted. 

Speaking  of  this,  Mr.  Cohen  says :  "  It  is  almost  a 
literal  translation,  and  reproduces  the  rhythm  and  the 
rhyme  of  the  original  Hebrew. 

"  We  have  a  number  of  Table-Hymns  {ZemirotJi) 
chanted  on  the  Sabbath  before  Grace.  Of  these, 
Psalm  cxxvi.  (we  sing  the  Psalms  in  Hebrew,  of  course) 
and  No.  10  '  Sabbath  Rest '  in  the  publication  of  mine 
I  enclose  (p.  25)  have  proved  very  precious  helps  to 
many  of  us.  Much  help,  too,  has  been  derived  from 
the  hymn  Ma'dz  Tsar,  for  Hamicah  (the  anniversary 
of  the  Maccabean  Dedication),  a  copy  of  my  English 
version  of  which  (again  closely  reproducing  the  rhythm 
and  rhyme  of  the  Hebrew)  I  give  on  the  back  of  '  Adon 
'Olam.'  " 

J35.— AVE  MARIA. 

As  many  Protestants  have  never  read  the  prayer  which 
is  said  and  sung  all  over  Roman  Christendom,  I  quote 
it  here  together  with  one  of  the  best-known  hymns  to 
the  Virgin  :  — 


2  $6        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

HAIL,  Mary,  full  of  grace;  the  Lord  is  with 
Thee :  blessed  art  Thou  among  women,  and 
blessed  is  the  fruit  of  Thy  womb,  Jesus.  Holy 
Mary,  Mother  of  God,  pray  for  us  sinners,  now  and 
at  the  hour  of  our  death.     Amen. 

AVE,  Maria,  gratia  plena;  Dominus  tecum; 
benedicta  tu  in  mulieribus,  et  benedictus 
fructus  ventris  tui,  Jesus.  Sancta  Maria,  Mater 
Dei,  ora  pro  nobis  peccatoribus,  nunc  et  in  hora 
mortis  nostras.     Amen. 


136.  —  AVE  MARIS  STELLA. 

This  is  probably  the  oldest,  —  it  dates  from  the  ninth 
century,  —  best-known,  most-used,  and  therefore,  most 
helpful  of  all  the  hymns  to  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  which 
edify  the  Roman,  and  scandalise  the  Protestant,  who 
forgets  that  if  the  spirit  of  the  prayer  or  hvmn  be  in- 
stinct with  love,  there  are  resources  in  the  Chancery  of 
Heaven  for  re-addressing  petitions  that  may  have  been 
wrongly  directed  by  mistake. 

HAIL,  bright  Star  of  ocean, 
God's  own  Mother  blest, 
Ever-sinless  Virgin, 
Gate  of  heavenly  rest ; 

Taking  that  sweet  Ave 

Which  from  Gabriel  came, 
Peace  confirm  within  us, 

Changing  Eva's  name. 

Break  the  captive's  fetters  ; 

Light  on  blindness  pour ; 
All  our  ills  expelling, 

Every  bliss  implore. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.        237 

Show  thyself  a  mother  ; 

May  the  Word  Divine, 
Born  for  us  thine  Infant, 

Hear  our  prayers  through  thine. 

Virgin  all  excelling. 

Mildest  of  the  mild, 
Freed  from  guilt,  preserve  us 

Meek  and  undefiled  ; 

Keep  our  life  all  spotless, 

Make  our  way  secure, 
Till  we  find  in  Jesus 

Joy  for  evermore. 

Through  the  highest  Heaven 

To  the  Almighty  Three, 
Father,  Son,  and  Spirit, 

One  same  glory  be. 

AVE  maris  Stella, 
Dei  Mater  alma, 
Atque  semper  virgo, 
Felix  cceli  porta. 

Sumens  illud  Ave, 
Gabrielis  ore, 
Funda  nos  in  pace, 
Mutans  Hevae  nomen. 

Solve  vincla  reis, 
Profer  lumen  caecis, 
Mala  nostra  pelle, 
Bona  cuncta  posce. 

Monstra  te  esse  matrem 
Sumat  per  te  preces, 
Qui  pro  nobis  natus, 
Tulit  esse  tuus. 


238        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Virgo  singularis, 
Inter  omnes  mitis, 
Nos  culpis  solutos, 
Mites  fac  et  castos. 

Vitam  praesta  puram 
Iter  para  tutum, 
Ut  videntes  Jesum, 
Semper  collaetemur. 

Sit  laus  Deo  Patri 
Summo  Christo  decus, 
Spiritui  Sancto, 
Tribus  honor  unus. 

J37— FAITH  OF  OUR  FATHERS. 

The  following  Roman  Catholic  hymn  is  a  kind  of  de- 
fiant war-song,  the  note  of  which  endears  it  much  to  the 
faithful. 

(The   words  in  Italics  apply  to   Ireland,  and  may  be 
substituted  for  the  text  below  when  fitting.) 

FAITH  of  our  Fathers!  living  still, 
In  spite  of  dungeon,  fire,  and  sword  : 

Oh,   \  ,    e  an    J    >■  hearts  beat  high  with  joy 
( how    our  )  &  j  j 

Whene'er    ]      ^  y  hear  that  glorious  word : 

(  we  )  & 

Faith  of  our  Fathers  !  Holy  Faith  ! 
We  will  be  true  to  thee  till  death. 

Our  Fathers,  chained  in  prisons  dark, 
Were  still  in  heart  and  conscience  free ; 
How  sweet  would  be  their  children's  fate, 
If  they,  like  them,  could  die  for  thee  ! 
Faith  of  our  Fathers,  etc. 


i 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.       239 

Faith  of  our  Fathers  !  Mary's  prayers 
j  Shall  keep  our  country  fast  to  thee ;  \ 
\  Shall  win  our  country  back  to  thee ;  ) 
Arid  through  the  truth  that  comes  from  God, 
(  Oh,  we  shall  prosper  and  be  free. 
\  England  shall  then  indeed  be  free. 
Faith  of  our  Fathers,  etc. 

Faith  of  our  Fathers  !  we  will  love 
Both  friend  and  foe  in  all  our  strife : 
And  preach  thee  too,  as  love  knows  how, 
By  kindly  words  and  virtuous  life. 
Faith  of  our  Fathers,  etc. 

Tune  —  "  Swiss  Air." 

This  hymn,  with  the  change  of  a  word  or  two  in  the 
third  verse,  is  used  by  the  American  Unitarians  as  a 
metrical  embodiment  of  their  history  and  aspirations. 

J38  -ETERNAL  FATHER,  STRONG  TO 

SAVE, 

This  is  one  of  Sir  Evelyn  Wood's  favourites.  It  was 
written  by  the  late  William  Whiting,  choirmaster  of 
Winchester  College,  and  is  much  used  at  sea;  and, 
when  the  wind  blows  hard,  by  those  on  land. 

ETERNAL  Father,  strong  to  save, 
Vv7hose  arm  hath  bound  the  restless  wave, 
Who  bidd'st  the  mighty  ocean  deep 
Its  own  appointed  limits  keep  : 

Oh,  hear  us  when  we  cry  to  Thee 
For  those  in  peril  on  the  sea. 

O  Christ,  Whose  voice  the  waters  heard 
And  hush'd  their  raging  at  Thy  word, 
Who  walkedst  on  the  foaming  deep, 
And  calm  amid  the  storm  didst  sleep  j 


24O       HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Oh,  hear  us  when  we  cry  to  Thee 
For  those  in  peril  on  the  sea. 

O  Holy  Spirit,  Who  didst  brood 
Upon  the  waters  dark  and  rude, 
And  bid  their  angry  tumult  cease, 
And  give,  for  wild  confusion,  peace  ; 

Oh,  hear  us  when  we  cry  to  Thee 

For  those  in  peril  on  the  sea. 

O  Trinity  of  love  and  power, 
Our  brethren  shield  in  danger's  hour; 
From  rock  and  tempest,  fire  and  foe, 
Protect  them  wheresoe'er  they  go  ; 

Thus  evermore  shall  rise  to  Thee 

Glad  hymns  of  praise  from  land  and  sea.  Amen. 

Tune  —  "  Melita." 

J39.  —  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

George  Rawson  wrote  this  Communion  hymn  for  the 
Baptists  in  1857.  It  has  been  appropriated  extensively 
by  other  denominations,  whose  use  of  it  is  the  best  tes- 
timony to  its  helpfulness. 

BY  Christ  redeemed,  in  Christ  restored, 
We  keep  the  memory  adored 
And  show  the  death  of  our  dear  Lord, 

Until  He  come. 

His  body  broken  in  our  stead 
Is  here,  in  this  memorial  bread, 
And  so  our  feeble  love  is  fed, 

Until  He  come. 

The  drops  of  His  dread  agony, 
His  life-blood  shed  for  us,  we  see; 
The  wine  shall  tell  the  mystery, 

Until  He  come. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        24 1 

And  thus  that  dark  betrayal  night 
With  the  last  advent  we  unite, 
By  one  blest  chain  of  loving  rite, 

Until  He  come. 

Until  the  trump  of  God  be  heard, 
Until  the  ancient  graves  be  stirred, 
And  with  the  great  commanding  word 

The  Lord  shall  come. 

O  blessed  hope  !  with  this  elate, 
Let  not  our  hearts  be  desolate, 
But,  strong  in  faith,  in  patience  wait, 

Until  He  come. 

Tune  —  "  Somercotes." 

J40— A  FEW  MORE   YEARS   SHALL  ROLL. 

A  hymn  of  Dr.  Bonar's,  written  in  1842,  forty  years 
before  his  death. 

A  FEW  more  years  shall  roll, 
A  few  more  seasons  come, 
And  we  shall  be  with  those  that  rest, 
Asleep  within  the  tomb  ; 
Then,  O  my  Lord,  prepare 
My  soul  for  that  great  day ; 
Oh,  wash  me  in  Thy  precious  Blood, 
And  take  my  sins  away. 

A  few  more  suns  shall  set 

O'er  these  dark  hills  of  time, 
And  we  shall  be  where  suns  are  not, 

A  far  serener  clime  : 

Then,  O  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  bright  day ; 
Oh,  wash  me  in  Thy  precious  Blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away. 

16 


242        HYMNS   THAT    HAVE   HELPED. 

A  few  more  storms  shall  beat 

On  this  wild  rocky  shore, 
And  we  shall  be  where  tempests  cease, 

And  surges  swell  no  more  : 

Then,  O  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  calm  day; 
Oh,  wash  me  in  Thy  precious  Blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away. 

A  few  more  struggles  here, 

A  few  more  partings  o'er, 
A  few  more  toils,  a  few  more  tears, 

And  we  shall  weep  no  more  : 

Then,  O  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  blest  day  ; 
Oh,  wash  me  in  Thy  precious  Blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away. 

'Tis  but  a  little  while 

And  He  shall  come  again, 
Who  died  that  we  might  live,  Who  lives 

That  we  with  Him  may  reign : 

Then,  O  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  glad  day  ; 
Oh,  wash  me  in  Thy  precious  Blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away.     Amen. 

Tune  —  "Leominster"  or  "Chalve\." 

J4J— WE  PLOUGH  THE  FIELDS  AND 
SCATTER. 

Claudius's  "Wir  pfliigen  und  wir  streuen  "  was  first 
published  in  German  in  1782.  It  is  used  both  in  Gsr- 
many  and  in  England  as  a  harvest  hymn.  I  give  Miss 
T.  M.  Campbell's  English  version. 


w 


E  plough  the  fields  and  scatter 
The  good  seed  on  the  land, 


HYMNS  THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        243 

But  it  is  fed  and  water'd 

By  God's  Almighty  Hand  ; 
He  sends  the  snow  in  winter, 

The  warmth  to  swell  the  grain, 
The  breezes  and  the  sunshine, 
And  soft  refreshing  rain. 
All  good  gifts  around  us 

Are  sent  from  Heav'n  above, 
Then  thank  the  Lord,  Oh,  thank  the  Lord, 
For  all  His  love. 

He  only  is  the  Maker 

Of  all  things  near  and  far; 
He  paints  the  wayside  flower, 
He  lights  the  evening  star; 
The  winds  and  waves  obey  Him, 

By  Him  the  birds  are  fed  ; 
Much  more  to  us,  His  children, 
He  gives  our  daily  bread. 
All  good  gifts  around  us 

Are  sent  from  Heav'n  above, 
Then  thank  the  Lord,  Oh,  thank  the  Lord, 
For  all  His  love. 

We  thank  Thee  then,  O  Father, 

For  all  things  bright  and  good, 
The  seed-time  and  the  harvest, 

Our  life,  our  health,  our  food; 
Accept  the  gifts  we  offer 

For  all  Thy  love  imparts, 
And,  what  Thou  most  desirest, 
Our  humble,  thankful  hearts. 
All  good  gifts  around  us 

Are  sent  from  Heav'n  above, 
Then  thank  the  Lord,  Oh,  thank  the  Lord, 
For  all  His  love.     Amen. 
Tune  —  The  well-known  one  by  J.  A.  P.  Sckulz. 


244       HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


XVH  —  Death. 

\  42  —  COME,  LET   US  JOIN    OUR    FRIENDS 

ABOVE. 

The  Bishop  of  Hereford  writes  me  that  he  thinks  the 
fourth  verse  "  one  of  the  finest  in  the  whole  range  of 
hymnology."  It  is  the  favourite  Wesleyan  funeral  hymn. 
The  author  of  "  Methodist  Hymn-Book  Notes  "  used 
several  pages  in  describing  the  affecting  and  happy 
incidents  in  connection  with  the  use  of  this  hymn, 
and  says  he  suppresses  many  other  pages  for  want  of 
space. 

COME,  let  us  join  our  friends  above 
Who  have  obtained  the  prize, 
And,  on  the  eagle-wings  of  love, 
To  joys  celestial  rise. 

Let  all  the  saints  terrestrial  sing, 

With  those  to  glory  gone; 
For  all  the  servants  of  our  King, 

On  earth  and  heaven,  are  one. 

One  family  we  dwell  in  Him,  — 

One  church,  above,  beneath; 
Though  now  divided  by  the  stream, 

The  narrow  stream  of  death. 

O-ie  army  of  the  living  God, 

To  His  command  we  bow; 
Part  of  His  host  have  crossed  the  flood, 

And  part  are  crossing  now. 

Ten  thousand  to  their  endless  home 

This  solemn  moment  fly  : 
And  we  are  to  the  margin  come, 

And  we  expect  to  die. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.        245 

E'en  now  by  faith  we  join  our  hands 

With  those  that  went  before  : 
And  greet  the  blood-besprinkled  bands 

On  the  eternal  shore. 

Our  spirits  too  shall  quickly  join, 
Like  theirs  with  glory  crowned, 

And  shout  to  see  our  Captain's  sign, 
To  hear  His  trumpet  sound. 

Be  Thou,  O  God,  our  constant  guide, 

And  when  the  word  is  given, 
Then,  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  waves  divide, 

And  land  us  all  in  heaven. 

Tune  —  "  Gretton." 


143  —  GIVE  ME  THE  WINGS  OF    FAITH 

TO  RISE. 

This  favourite  hymn  of  Watts  was  published  in  1709, 
and  it  has  been  in  general  use  among  all  sections  of 
the  Church  for  a  century. 

GIVE  me  the  wings  of  faith  to  rise 
Within  the  veil,  and  see 
The  saints  above,  how  great  their  joys  ! 
How  bright  their  glories  be  ! 

Once  they  were  mourning  here  below 
And  wet  their  couch  with  tears; 

They  wrestled  hard,  as  we  do  now, 
With  sins  and  doubts  and  fears. 

I  ask  them  whence  their  victory  came  ? 

They,  with  united  breath, 
Ascribe  their  conquest  to  the  Lamb, 

Their  triumph  to  His  death. 


246        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

They  marked  the  footsteps  that  He  trod, 
His  zeal  inspired  their  breast; 

And,  following  their  Incarnate  God, 
Possess  the  promised  rest. 

Our  glorious  Leader  claims  our  praise 

For  His  own  pattern  given, 
While  the  long  cloud  of  witnesses 

Shows  the  same  path  to  heaven. 

Tune  —  "  Mylon." 

J  44  —  HEAR  WHAT  THE  VOICE  OF 
HEAVEN  PROCLAIMS. 

This  hymn,  also  by  Watts,  is  much  used  at  burials. 

HEAR  what  the  voice  from  heaven  proclaims 
For  all  the  pious  dead  : 
Sw;eet  is  the  savour  of  their  names, 
And  soft  their  sleeping  bed. 

They  die  in  Jesus  and  are  blest ; 

How  kind  their  slumbers  are  ! 
From  sufferings  and  from  sins  released 

And  freed  from  every  snare. 

Far  from  this  world  of  toil  and  strife, 

They  're  present  with  the  Lord  ; 
The  labours  of  their  mortal  life 


End  in  a  large  reward. 


Tune —  "  Beatitudo." 


J45  -HOW  BLEST  THE  RIGHTEOUS  WHEN 

HE  DIES. 

This  hymn  by  Mrs.  Barbauld  is  quoted  by  Thomas 
Carlyle  when  describing  the  death  of  Oliver  Cromwell. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        247 

HOW  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies ! 
When  sinks  a  weary  soul  to  rest, 
How  mildly  beam  the  closing  eyes, 
How  gently  heaves  the  expiring  breast  1 

So  fades  a  summer  cloud  away : 

So  sinks  the  gale  when  storms  are  o'er: 

So  gently  shuts  the  eye  of  day ; 

So  dies  a  wave  along  the  shore. 

A  holy  quiet  reigns  around, 
A  calm  which  life  nor  death  destroys : 
Nothing  disturbs  that  peace  profound, 
Which  his  unfettered  soul  enjoys. 

Farewell,  conflicting  hopes  and  fears, 
Where  lights  and  shades  alternate  dwell ! 
How  bright  the  unchanging  morn  appears ! 
Farewell,  inconstant  world,  farewell ! 

Life's  labour  done,  as  sinks  the  clay, 
Light  from  its  load  the  spirit  flies ; 
While  heaven  and  earth  combine  to  say, 
How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies! 

Tune  —  "Cutler." 

Mrs.  Barbauld  is  perhaps  even  better  known  by  her 
lines  on  Life,  written  when  she  was  over  seventy  :  — 

"  Life !  we  Ve  been  long  together, 
Through  pleasant  and  through  cloudy  weather. 
'T  is  hard  to  part  when  friends  are  dear  — 
Perhaps  't  will  cost  a  sigh,  a  tear ;  — 

Then  steal  away ;  give  little  warning, 
Choose  thine  own  time  ; 
Say  not  Good-night,  —  but  in  some  brighter  clime, 

Bid  me  G6od-mornin£ !  " 


248        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 


J46  — SLEEP  ON,  BELOVED. 

This  funeral  hymn,  which  has  attained  even  greater 
vogue  in  America  than  in  this  country,  is  by  Miss  Sarah 
Doudney.  It  was  the  hymn  sung  at  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
funeral. 

SLEEP  on,  belovkd,  sleep,  and  take  thy  rest; 
Lay  down  thy  head  upon  thy  Saviour's  breast : 
We  love  thee  well ;  but  Jesus  loves  thee  best  — 
Good-night !     Good-night !     Good-night ! 

Calm  is  thy  slumber  as  an  infant's  sleep ; 
But  thou  shalt  wake  no  more  to  toil  and  weep : 
Thine  is  a  perfect  rest,  secure  and  deep  — 

Good-night ! 

Until  the  shadows  from  this  earth  are  cast; 
Until  He  gathers  in  His  sheaves  at  last ; 
Until  the  twilight  gloom  is  overpast  — 

Good-night ! 

Until  the  Easter  glory  lights  the  skies  ; 
Until  the  dead  in  Jesus  shall  arise, 
And  He  shall  come,  but  not  in  lowly  guise  — 

Good-night ! 

Until  made  beautiful  by  Love  Divine, 
Thou,  in  the  likeness  of  Thy  Lord  shalt  shine, 
And  He  shall  bring  that  golden  crown  of  thine  — 

Good-night ! 

Only  "  good-night,"  beloved  —  not  "  farewell !  " 
A  little  while,  and  all  His  saints  shall  dwell 
In  hallowed  union,  indivisible  — 

Go<M-night ! 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 


249 


Until  we  meet  again  before  His  throne, 
Clothed  in  the  spotless  robe  He  gives  His  own, 
Until  we  know  even  as  we  are  known  — 

Good-night ! 

Tune  —  Mr.  Sankey's. 


J47  — NOW  THE  LABOURER'S  TASK  IS 

O'ER. 

This  hymn  is  one  of  the  favourites  of  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen,  and  is  frequently  selected  by  her  to  be  sung  at 
the  funerals  of  members  of  her  family.  It  was  written 
by  the  Rev.  J.  Ellerton,  and  first  published  by  the  Soci- 
ety for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  in  "  Church 
Hymns,"  187 1. 

NOW  the  labourer's  task  is  o'er, 
Now  the  battle  day  is  past; 
Now  upon  the  farther  shore 
Lands  the  voyager  at  last. 
Father,  in  Thy  gracious  keeping 
Leave  we  now  Thy  servant  sleeping. 

There  the  tears  of  earth  are  dried ; 

There  its  hidden  things  are  clear ; 
There  the  work  of  life  is  tried 

By  a  juster  Judge  than  here. 
Father,  in  Thy  gracious  keeping 
Leave  we  now  Thy  servant  sleeping. 

There  the  sinful  souls,  that  turn 
To  the  Cross  their  dying  eyes, 

All  the  love  of  Christ  shall  learn 
At  His  Feet  in  Paradise. 

Father,  in  Thy  gracious  keeping 

Leave  we  now  Thy  servant  sleeping. 


250        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

There  no  more  the  powers  of  hell 
Can  prevail  to  mar  their  peace ; 

Christ  the  Lord  shall  guard  them  well, 
He  who  died  for  their  release. 

Father,  in  Thy  gracious  keeping 

Leave  we  now  Thy  servant  sleeping. 

"  Earth  to  earth,  and  dust  to  dust," 

Calmly  now  the  words  we  say, 
Left  behind  we  wait  in  trust 
For  the  Resurrection-day. 
Father,  in  Thy  gracious  keeping 
Leave  we  now  Thy  servant  sleeping. 

Amen. 
Tune  —  "  Requiescat." 

J48  — I  LAY  ME  DOWN  TO  SLEEP. 

FOUND  UNDER  THE  PILLOW  OF  A  SOLDIER,  WHO  DIED 
IN  A  HOSPITAL  IN  SOUTH  CAROLINA  DURING  THE 
AMERICAN    WAR. 

I  LAY  me  down  to  sleep, 
With  little  thought  or  care, 
Whether  my  waking  find 
Me  here  or  there. 

A  bowing,  burdened  head, 

That  only  asks  to  rest 
Unquestioning  upon  ' 

A  loving  breast. 

My  good  right  hand  forgets 

its  cunning  now, 
To  march  the  weary  march 

I  know  not  how. 

I  am  not  eager,  bold, 
Nor  strong  —  all  that  is  past : 


t 


HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED.   25 1 

I  am  ready  not  to  do, 
At  last,  at  last. 

My  half-day's  work  is  done, 

And  this  is  all  my  part ; 
I  give  a  patient  God 

My  patient  heart. 

And  grasp  His  banner  still 
Though  all  its  blue  be  dim, 

These  stripes  no  less  than  stars 
Lead  after  Him. 

XVIIL  —  Heaven. 

J49  —  JERUSALEM,  MY  HAPPY' HOME. 

The  famous  song  made  by  F.  B.  P.  at  the  end  of  the 
sixteenth  century  begins  :  — 

Hierusalem,  my  happy  home  ; 

When  shall  I  come  to  thee: 
When  shall  my  sorrowes  have  an  end, 

Thy  ioys  when  shall  I  see. 

There  are  twenty-six  verses,  some  of  them  very  quaint. 
The  most  popular  modern  version  "  given  in  the  text " 
is  believed  to  be  by  Montgomery. 

JERUSALEM,  my  happy  home; 
Name  ever  dear  to  me  : 
When  shall  my  labours  have  an  end 
In  joy  and  peace  and  thee ! 

When  shall  these  eyes  thy  heaven-built  walls 

And  pearly  gates  behold, 
Thy  bulwarks  with  salvation  strong, 

And  streets  of  shining  gold? 


252        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED. 

There  happier  bowers  than  Eden's  bloom, 

Nor  sin,  nor  sorrow  know; 
Blest  seats,  through  rude  and  stormy  scenes, 

I  onward  press  to  you. 

Why  should  I  shrink  from  pain  and  woe, 

Or  feel  at  death  dismay  ? 
I  've  Canaan's  goodly  land  in  view, 

And  realms  of  endless  day. 

Apostles,  martyrs,  prophets  there, 

Around  my  Saviour  stand ; 
And  soon  my  friends  in  Christ  below 

Will  join  the  glorious  band. 

Jerusalem,  my  happy  home, 

My  soul  still  pants  for  thee  : 
Then  shall  my  labours  have  an  end, 

When  I  thy  joys  shall  see. 

Tune  —  "  Southwell  "  or  "  Beulah." 

J50  —  THERE  IS  A  LAND  OF  PURE 
DELIGHT. 

Whether  Watts  wrote  this  at  Southampton,  inspired 
by  a  view  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  or  of  the  New  Forest,  is 
uncertain.  But  whatever  the  scene  that  suggested  these 
familiar  stanzas,  they  have  helped  myriads  to  cross  with 
steadier  nerve  the  swelling  flood,  on  the  brink  of  which 
we  shivering  stand  and  fear  to  launch  away. 

THERE  is  a  land  of  pure  delight, 
Where  saints  immortal  reign;. 
Infinite  day  excludes  the  night, 
And  pleasures  banish  pain. 

There  everlasting  spring  abides 

And  never- withering  flowers; 
Death,  like  a  narrow  sea,  divides 

This  heavenly  land  from  ours. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        253 

Sweet  fields  beyond  the  swelling  flood 

Stand  dressed  in  living  green; 
So  to  the  Jews  old  Canaan  stood, 

While  Jordan  rolled  between. 

But  timorous  mortals  start  and  shrink 

To  cross  this  narrow  sea, 
And  linger,  shivering  on  the  brink, 

And  fear  to  launch  away. 

Oh,  could  we  make  our  doubts  remove, 

Those  gloomy  doubts  that  rise : 
And  see  the  Canaan  that  we  love 

With  unbeclouded  eyes : 

Could  we  but  climb  where  Moses  stood, 

And  view  the  landscape  o'er, 
Not  Jordan's  stream,  nor  death's  cold  flood, 

Should  fright  us  from  the  shore. 

Tune  —  "  Beulah." 


BERNARD  OF  CLUNY'S  "  SWEET  AND 
BLESSED  COUNTRY/' 

Out  of  three  thousand  lines  of  a  satire  written  by  Ber- 
nard, a  monk  of  Cluny,  in  the  twelfth  century,  Dr.  Neale 
has  extracted  three  hymns,  which,  in  his  free  transla- 
tion, have  become  extremely  popular.  It  is  significant  of 
the  difference  between  the  centuries  that  the  twelfth- 
century  satirist  is  overwhelmed  by  the  awe  of  heaven 
and  the  horror  of  hell,  whereas  his  nineteenth-century 
adapter  sings  exultantly  of  heaven  alone. 

J5 \  —  BRIEF  LIFE  IS  HERE   OUR  PORTION. 

BRIEF  life  is  here  our  portion, 
Brief  sorrow,  short-lived  care  : 
The  life  that  knows  no  ending, 
The  tearless  life,  is  there. 


254        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

O  happy  retribution  ! 

Short  toil,  eternal  rest; 
For  mortals  and  for  sinners 

A  mansion  with  the  blest ! 

There  grief  is  turned  to  pleasure, 

Such  pleasure,  as  below 
No  human  voice  can  utter, 

No  human  heart  can  know. 
And  now  we  fight  the  battle, 

But  then  shall  wear  the  crown 
Of  full  and  everlasting 

And  passionless  renown. 

And  now  we  watch  and  struggle, 

And  now  we  live  in  hope, 
And  Sion,  in  her  anguish, 

With  Babylon  must  cope. 
But  He  whom  now  we  trust  in 

Shall  then  be  seen  and  known, 
And  they  that  know  and  see  Him 

Shall  have  Him  for  their  own. 

The  morning  shall  awaken, 

The  shadows  shall  decay, 
And  each  true-hearted  servant 

Shall  shine  as  doth  the  day: 
Yes  ;  God,  our  King  and  Portion, 

In  fulness  of  His  grace, 
We  then  shall  see  for  ever, 

And  worship  face  to  face. 

O  sweet  and  blessed  country. 
The  home  of  God's  elect  / 

O  sweet  and  blessed  country 
That  eager  hearts  expect  I 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE    HELPED.        255 

Jesus,  in  mercy  bring  us 

To  that  dear  land  of  rest ; 
Who  art,  with  God  the  Father, 

And  Spirit^  ever  blest. 

Tune  —  "St.  Alphege." 


J52-FOR  THEE,  O  DEAR,  DEAR 
COUNTRY. 

FOR  thee,  O  dear,  dear  country! 
Mine  eyes  their  vigils  keep; 
For  very  love  beholding 

Thy  happy  name,  they  weep : 
The  mention  of  thy  glory 
Is  unction  to  the  breast, 
And  medicine  in  sickness, 
And  love,  and  life,  and  rest. 

O  one,  O  only  mansion  ! 

O  Paradise  of  joy  ! 
Where  tears  are  ever  banished, 

And  smiles  have  no  alloy. 
With  jaspers  glow  thy  bulwarks, 

Thy  streets  with  emeralds  blaze  ; 
The  sardius  and  the  topaz 

Unite  in  thee  their  rays. 

Thine  ageless  walls  are  bonded 

With  amethyst  unpriced ; 
The  saints  build  up  its  fabric, 

And  the  corner-stone  is  Christ. 
The  cross  is  all  thy  splendour, 

The  Crucified  thy  praise ; 
His  laud  and  benediction 

Thy  ransomed  people  raise. 


2  56        HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED. 

Thou  hast  no  shore,  fair  ocean ! 

Thou  hast  no  time,  bright  day  ! 
Dear  fountain  of  refreshment, 

To  pilgrims  far  away  ! 
Upon  the  Rock  of  Ages 

They  raise  thy  holy  tower  ; 
Thine  is  the  victor's  laurel, 

And  thine  the  golden  dower. 

O  sweet  and  blessed  country, 

The  home  of  God's  elect  / 
O  sweet  and  blessed  country, 

That  eager  hearts  exfiect ! 
Jesus,  in  mercy  bring  us 

'To  that  dear  land  of  rest ; 
Who  art,  with  God  the  Father, 

And  Spirit,  ever  blest. 

Tune—  "Jenner." 

J53 -JERUSALEM  THE  GOLDEN. 

JERUSALEM  the  golden, 
J      With  milk  and  honey  blest, 
Beneath  thy  contemplation 

Sink  heart  and  voice  opprest. 
I  know  not,  Oh,  I  know  not, 

What  joys  await  us  there  ; 
What  radiancy  of  glory, 

What  light  beyond  compare  ! 

They  stand,  those  halls  of  Sion,    . 

All  jubilant  with  song, 
And  bright  with  many  an  angel, 

And  all  the  martyr  throng. 
The  Prince  is  ever  in  them  ; 

The  daylight  is  serene ; 
The  pastures  of  the  blessed 

Are  decked  in  glorious  sheen. 


HYMNS   THAT   HAVE   HELPED.        257 

There  is  the  throne  of  David ; 

And  there,  from  care  released, 
The  shout  of  them  that  triumph, 

The  song  of  them  that  feast; 
And  they  who,  with  their  Leader, 

Have  conquered  in  the  fight, 
For  ever  and  for  ever 

Are  clad  in  robes  of  white. 

O  sweet  and  blessed  country, 

The  home  of  God 's  elect  ! 
O  sweet  a?id  blessed  country, 

That  eager  hearts  expect ! 
Jesus,  in  mercy  bring  us 

To  that  dear  land  of  rest ; 
Who  art,  with  God  the  Father, 

And  Spirit,  ever  blest. 

Tune  —  "  Ewing." 

J54-NEAR  US  STANDING  HERE 

FORGETFUL. 

When  the  miners  were  imprisoned  in  Pontypridd  mine, 
expecting  never  again  to  see  the  light  of  day,  they  sang 
the  following  verse  of  a  hymn  well  known  in  Wales  : 

IN  the  waves  and  mighty  waters 
No  one  will  support  my  head, 
But  my  Saviour,  my  Beloved, 

Who  was  stricken  in  my  stead  : 
In  the  flood  of  death's  dark  river 

He  will  hold  my  head  above ; 
I  shall  through  the  waves  go  singing 
For  one  look  of  Him  I  love. 


Y 


N  y  dyfroedd  mawr  a'r  tonau 
Nid  oes  neb  a  ddeil  fy  mhen 
17 


258   HYMNS  THAT  HAVE  HELPED. 

Ond  fy  anwyl  Briod  Iesu 

A  fu  farvv  ar  y  pren 
Cyfaill  yw  yn  afon  angeu 

Ddeil  fy  mhen  yn  uwch  na'r  don 
Golwg  arno  wna  i  mi  ganu 

Yn  yr  afon  ddofn  hon. 

I  asked  Mr.  Burt  if  he  could  tell  me  what  hymns  had 
been  sung  by  North-country  miners  in  similar  circum- 
stances, but  he  did  not  know. 


APPENDICES. 
APPENDIX  L 

SOME   LETTERS   FROM   WORKING-MEN. 

One  of  the  difficulties  which  I  have  had  to  contend  with  has 
been  the  multitude  of  letters  received  from  unknown  corre- 
spondents, who  have  kindly  responded  to  my  appeal,  and  certify 
that  this,  that,  or  the  other  hymn  marked  an  epoch  in  their 
life.  It  is  quite  impossible  for  me  to  quote  from  all,  or  even 
from  many  of  those  letters,  neither  can  I  by  any  possibility 
print  all  the  hymns  which  have  thus  received  the  hall-mark  of 
personal  helpfulness,  but  one  or  two  extracts  may  be  made, 
chiefly  from  those  upon  whom  the  burden  of  life  rests  some- 
what heavily. 

Thomas  Martin,  a  Darlington  engineer,  writing  as  one  of  the 
"  Sons  of  Toil,"  says  :  — 

"  We,  sir,  have  our  helps  as  well  as  those  above  us.  I  can 
assure  you  that  the  sweet  songs  of  the  sanctuary  of  the  soul 
have  given  us  weary  ones  many  a  solace  and  a  lift ;  and  amidst 
the  jarring  and  wrangling  of  the  sectarians  over  their  creeds 
and  dogmas,  how  sweet  is  that  inspired  hymn  No.  169  in  Dr. 
Martineau's  collection  of  'Hymns  of  Praise  and  Prayer,' 
commencing  thus  — 

Spirit  of  Truth,  be  Thou  my  Guide, 

O  clasp  my  hand  in  Thine. 
And  let  me  never  quit  Thy  side, 

Thy  comforts  are  divine. 

Pride  scorns  Thee  for  Thy  lowly  mien  ; 

But  who  like  Thee  can  rise 
Above  this  toilsome  sordid  scene, 

Beyond  the  holy  skies. 

Weak  is  Thine  eye,  and  soft  Thy  voice  ; 

But  wondrous  is  Thy  might 
To  make  the  wretched  soul  rejoice, 

And  give  the  simple  light. 

I  can  assure  you,  sir,  that  we  have  our  consolations  and  help 
from  such-like  hymns  ;  and  many  more." 


26o 


APPENDIX   I. 


Another  working-man  sends  me  a  letter  expressing  his 
earnest  hope  that,  whatever  else  is  left  out,  I  will  take  care  to 
include  No.  28  in  Sankey's  hymn-book ;  the  hymn  beginning, 
"  I  left  it  all  with  Jesus,  long  ago."  Speaking  of  his  own 
experience,  he  says  he  passed  through  a  period  of  much  tribu- 
lation, seeking  peace  and  finding  none  :  — 

"  I  thought  I  had  done  my  best,  but  still  that  was  unsatis- 
factory. Something  always  seemed  to  be  kept  back ;  some- 
thing that  ought  to  have  come  out  and  did  not,  or  rather, 
perhaps  I  ■should  say  that  was  not  fully  understood  by  the  one  to 
whom  it  was  told.  I  had  no  doubt  of  my  wish  to  repent,  no 
doubt  of  my  willingness  to  make  every  reparation  in  my  power, 
but  still  peace  would  not  come.  At  last  I  took  it  all  straight 
to  Jesus,  and  the  burden  rolled  away  from  my  heart.  That  is 
why  I  love  No.  28  of  Sankey's  collection  of  Sacred  Songs  and 
Solos." 

Hymns  often  act  in  this  fashion.  They  cling  to  the  memory, 
and  by  supplying  the  right  word  at  the  right  time,  act  as  the 
"  open  sesame  "  to  the  treasure  which  had  been  long  and  vainly 
sought. 

An  adult  class  at  a  friend's  school  at  Darlington,  being 
asked  to  say  which  hymns  had  helped  them  most,  named,  "  I 
know  not  what  awaits  me,"  with  the  chorus,  "  Where  He  may 
lead,  I  '11  follow"  as  the  first  favourite;  the  second,  "  When 
our  heads  are  bowed  with  woe  ;  "  the  third,  "  In  the  secret  of 
His  presence,  hangs  my  soul's  delight;"  the  fourth,  "Oh, 
safe  to  the  Rock  that  is  higher  than  I." 

A  mechanic  of  Oldham  tells  how  —  when  work  was  slack 
and  hands  were  being  dismissed,  and  no  one  knew  whose  turn 
it  would  be  next  —  he  was  mightily  sustained  by  a  verse  in 
Cowper's  hymn,  "  Sometimes  a  light  surprises."  The  verse 
which  did  him  good,  and  seemed  to  him  a  message  from  God, 
was  this,  after  the  verse  ending,  "  E'en  let  the  unknown  to- 
morrow bring  with  it  what  it  may  "  :  — 

It  can  bring  with  it  nothing, 

But  He  will  bear  us  tli rough  ; 
Who  gives  the  lilies  clothing 

Will  clothe  His  people  too. 
Beneath  the  spreading  heavens, 

No  creature  but  is  fed  ; 
And  He  who  feeds  the  ravens 

Will  give  His  children  bread. 

Many  a  time  that  verse  has  cheered  him  and  given  him  good 
heart  to  face  the  worst  in  the  gloomiest  of  bad  times. 


APPENDIX   I. 


26l 


I  have  said  that  from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  I  have 
received  communications,  and  there  are  few  places  more  out  of 
the  way  than  the  Chatham  Islands,  although  this  year  they 
have  been  favoured  with  a  bi-monthly  postal  service.  My 
correspondent,  who  uses  the  nom  de  pha?te  "  Tabitha,"  says 
that  her  husband  well  remembers  when  nine  months  elapsed 
before  they  heard  from  the  outer  world.  Once  a  year  a  man- 
of-war  anchors  for  a  few  days  off  the  island,  but  the  islanders, 
for  the  most  part,  live  secluded  from  the  outer  world,  weaving 
their  own  wool,  supplying  their  own  needs  in  primitive 
patriarchal  fashion.  My  correspondent  quotes,  as  the  two 
verses  which  have  helped  her,  the  following  :  — 

And  when  I'm  to  die, 

"  Receive  me,''  I'll  cry. 
For  Jesus  has  loved  me, 

I  cannot  tell  why. 

But  this  do  I  find, 

That  we  two  are  joined, 
That  He'll  not  be  in  glory, 

And  leave  me  behind. 

There  are  many  hymns  which  have  played  no  small  part  in 
the  lives  of  men,  which,  however,  I  cannot  include  in  this 
collection.  Take,  for  instance,  the  hymn,  "  How  bright  these 
glorious  spirits  shine." 

In  the  life  of  Duncan  Matheson,  Scottish  Evangelist,  we 
read  that  on  the  first  Sabbath  after  he  arrived  at  Balaclava,  he 
and  one  or  more  of  the  93rd  Highlanders  retired  to  a  ravine, 
read,  prayed,  and  sang  the  battle-song  of  David  and  Luther, 
"  God  is  our  refuge  and  our  strength  ;"  and  on  page  70  to  71 
we  read  :  One  night,  weary  and  sad,  returning  from  Sevastopol 
to  the  old  stable  at  Balaclava  where  he  lodged,  his  strength 
gone,  sickened  with  the  sights  he  had  seen,  depressed  by  the 
thought  that  the  siege  seemed  no  nearer  an  end,  so,  trudging 
along  in  mud  knee-deep,  he  looked  up  and  noticed  the  stars 
shining  calmly  in  the  clear  sky  ;  instinctively  his  weary  heart 
mounted  heavenward,  thinking  of  "  the  rest  that  remaineth  for 
the  people  of  God,"  he  began  to  sing  aloud,  — 

How  bright  these  glorious  spirits  shine. 

Next  day,  though  wet  and  stormy,  he  went  out  and  came  lpon 
a  soldier  in  rags,  standing  under  an  old  verandah  for  shelter  ; 
his  naked  toes  were  showing  through  worn-out  boots.  Matheson, 
speaking  words  of  encouragement,  gave  him  half»a-sove reign 
to  purchase  shoes.     The  soldier  thanked  him,  and  said  :   "  I 


262 


APPENDIX   II. 


am  not  what  I  was  yesterday.  Last  night,  as  I  was  thinking 
of  our  miserable  condition,  I  grew  tired  of  life,  and  said  to  my- 
self ...  I  can  bear  this  no  longer,  and  may  as  well  put  an  end 
to  it.  So  I  took  my  musket  and  went  down  yonder  in  a 
desperate  state,  about  eleven  o'clock ;  but  as  I  got  round  the 
point,  I  heard  some  person  singing  '  How  bright  these  glorious 
spirits  shine  ; '  and  I  remembered  the  old  tune  and  the  Sabbath - 
school  where  we  used  to  sing  it.  I  felt  ashamed  of  being  so 
cowardly,  and  said :  Here  is  someone  as  badly  off  as  myself, 
and  yet  he  is  not  giving  in.  I  felt,  too.  he  had  something  to 
make  him  happy  which  I  had  not,  but  I  began  to  hope  I  too 
might  get  the  same  happiness.  I  returned  to  my  tent,  and  to- 
day I  am  resolved  to  seek  the  one  thing.''''  "  Do  you  know  who 
the  singer  was  ? "  asked  the  missionary.  "  No,"  was  the  reply. 
"  Well,"  said  the  other,  u  It  was  I."  Tears  rushed  into  the 
soldier's  eyes,  and  handing  back  the  half-sovereign,  he  said : 
"  Never,  sir,  can  I  take  it  from  you  after  what  you  have  been 
the  means  of  doing  for  me.1' 


APPENDIX  IL 


A   LIST   OF    A   BEST   HUNDRED    HYMNS. 

Early  in  1887  the  Editors  of  The  Sunday  at  Home  invited 
their  readers  to  send  lists  of  the  Hundred  English  Hymns  which 
stood  highest  in  their  esteem.  Nearly  three  thousand  five  hun- 
dred persons  responded  to  the  invitation  ;  and  by  the  majority 
of  votes  the  following  hundred  were  selected. 

The  first  on  the  list,  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  received  3,215  votes  ; 
the  last,  ';  Sometimes  a  light  surprises,"  866.  It  was  only  to 
be  expected  that  the  former  hymn  would  prove  the  most 
popular  of  all ;  but  the  three  next  to  it  each  received  about 
3,000  votes,—  "  Abide  with  me,"  "Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul," 
and  "Just  as  I  am." 

HYMN.  AUTHOR. 

i.  Rock  of  Ages,  clef t  for  me Toplady. 

2.  Abide  with  me  ;  fast  falls  the  eventide  .  Lyte. 

3.  Jesu  !  Lover  of  my  soul C.  Wesley. 

4.  Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea  .     .     .     .  C.  Elliott. 

5.  How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds     .  y.  Newton. 

6.  My  God  and  Father,  while  I  stray     .     .  C.  Elliott. 

7.  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee Mrs.  Adams. 

8.  Sun  of  my  soul,  Thou  Saviour  dear    .     .  Keble. 

9.  I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say  .     .     .    .  H.  Bonzr. 


APPENDIX   II. 


263 


10. 

IT. 
12. 

'3- 
14. 

i5- 

16. 

17- 

18. 
19. 

20. 

21. 
22. 

23- 
24. 

25- 

26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
3°- 

3i- 
32. 
33- 
34- 

35- 
36. 
37- 
38. 
39- 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43- 
44- 
45- 
46. 

47- 

4^- 
49. 

BO- 
52- 
53- 
54- 


HYMN.  AUTHOR. 

Art  thou  weary,  art  thou  languid  ?     .  Stephen  the  Sabaite. 

For  ever  with  the  Lord Jas.  Montgomery. 

God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way    .     .  Cowper. 

From  Greenland's  icy  mountains  .     .  R.  Heber. 

When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross     .  Watts. 
Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the   encircling 

gloom Newman. 


Hark  !  the  herald  angels  sing 
All  praise  to  Thee,  my  God,  this  night 
A  few  more  years  shall  roll    .... 
O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past      .     .     . 
Our  blest  Redeemer,  ere  He  breathed 
All  hail  the  power  of  Jesu's  name 
Eternal  Father  !  strong  to  save     .     . 
Holy,  holy,  holy!   Lord  God  Almighty 
Guide  me,  O  Thou  Great  Jehovah    . 
There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood  . 
Lo,  He  comes  with  clouds  descending 
At  even,  ere  the  sun  was  set      .     .     . 
Awake  !  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun    . 
Hark  !  my  soul,  it  is  the  Lord  .     .     . 
All  people  that  on  earth  do  dwell  .     . 
Brief  life  is  here  our  portion      .     .     . 
Jesus  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun  .     . 
Jesus  !  the  very  thought  of  Thee 
Hark  !  hark,  my  soul 


C.  Wesley. 

T.  Ken. 

H.  Bonar. 

Watts. 

Harriet  A  u^er. 

E.  P  err  one  t. 

W.  Whiting. 

Heber. 

W.  Williams. 

Cowper 

C.  Wesley. 

H.  Twells. 

T.  Ken. 

Cowper. 

W.  Kethe. 

Bernard  of  Cluny. 

Watts. 

Bernard  of  Clairvanx. 


angelic  songs 

are  swelling Faber. 

Jerusalem,  my  happy  home  .     ,     .     .  Anon. 

Jerusalem  the  golden Bernard  of  Cluny. 


Oft  in  danger,  oft  in  woe 
Come,  let  us  join  our  cheerful  songs 
Thy  way,  not  mine,  O  Lord  .     .     . 
Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life  .     . 
Come,  ye  thankful  people,  come    . 
Onward,  Christian  soldiers    .     .     . 

I  lay  my  sins  on  Jesus Bonar. 

O  for  a  closer  walk  with  God      .     .     .     Cowper. 
O  worship  the  King,  all  glorious  above  R.  Grant. 
Brightest  and  best  of  the  sons  of  the 

morning 

As  pants  the  hart  for  cooling  streams. 
Sweet  Saviour  !  bless  us  ere  we  go 
Hail  to  the  Lord's  Anointed  .... 
Pleasant  are  Thy  courts  above  .    .     . 
Great  God  !  what  do  I  see  and  hear? 
There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight   .     .     . 
O  timely  happy,  timely  wise  .     .     .     .     J, 
Christians,  awake  :  salute  the  happy 

morn fohn  Byrom 


H.  K.  White. 

Watts. 

H.  Bonar. 

A.  L.  Waring. 

A  Iford. 

Baring-Gould. 


R.  Heber. 
Tate  and  Brady. 
Faber. 

Montgomery. 
Lyte. 

Ringwaldt. 
Watts. 
Keble. 


264 


APPENDIX    II. 


55- 
56. 

57- 
58. 

59 
60. 
61. 
62. 

63. 
6+. 

65. 
66. 
67. 

68. 

69. 
70. 

7i- 
72. 

73- 
74- 

75- 
76. 

77- 

78. 

79- 
80. 

81. 

82. 

83. 
84. 
85- 
86. 
87. 
88. 
89. 
90. 
91. 
92. 
93- 
94- 
95- 
96. 

97- 
98. 

90- 


sin 


HYMN'. 

Prayer  is  the  soul's  sincere  delight 
Saviour,  again  to  Thy  dear  name  we 

raise   

The  Church's  one  foundation 
Soldiers  of  Christ,  arise    .     . 
Weary  of  earth  and  laden  with  my 
Christian,  seek  not  yet  repose 
O  Day  of  rest  and  gladness   . 
Christ  the  Lord  is  risen  to-day 

0  Paradise  !   O  Paradise  .     . 

1  need  Thee,  precious  Jesus  . 
Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus  .     . 
O  for  a  heart  to  praise  my  God 
Hark  !  the  glad  sound !  the    Saviour 

comes 

Come  unto  Me,  ye  weary       .     . 
My  faith  looks  up  to  Thee     . 
There  is  a  green  hill  far  away    . 
Before  Jehovah's  awful   throne 

0  Jesus,  I  have  promised      .     . 
The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war 
Not  all  the  blood  of  beasts     .     . 

1  was  a  wandering  sheep  .     .     . 
O  God  of  Bethel,  by  Whose  hand 
Peace,  perfect  peace      .... 

0  come,  all  ye  faithful,  joyful  and 
triumphant 

The  King  of  Love  my  Shepherd  is 
Through  all  the  changing  scenes  of  life 
Take  my  life,  and  let  it  be     ...     . 
While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks 

by  night 

My  God,  and  is  Thy  table  spread  . 
Jesus  Christ  is  risen  to-day   .... 

1  could  not  do  without  Thee       .     . 
Jesus  lives  !  no  longer  now    .... 
Come,  Thou  Fount  of  every  blessing  . 
As  with  gladness  men  of  old  .... 
O  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing    .     . 
Saviour  !  breathe  an  evening  blessing 
Sweet  the  moments,  rich  in  blessing  . 
Let  us,  with  a  gladsome  mind     .     .     . 
O  happy  band  of  pilgrims       .     .     .     . 
Days  and  moments  quickly  flying  . 
Jesus  calls  us  o'er  the  tumult     .     .     . 
Glorious  things  of  Thee  are  spoken     . 
O  Lord,  how  happy  should  we  be  . 
Tell  me  the  old,  old  story      .... 
Lord,  I  hear  of  showers  of  blessing     . 
Sometimes  a  light  surprises  .... 


AUTHOR. 

jfas.  Montgomery. 

J.  Ellerton. 

S.  J.  Stone. 

C.  Wesley. 

Rev.  S.  J.  Stone, 

C.  Elliott. 

C.  Wordsworth. 

C.  Wesley. 

F.  W.  Faber. 

F.  Whitfield. 

Mrs.   Van  Alstyne. 

C.  Wesley. 

Doddridge- 
W.  C.  Dix. 
Ray  Palmer 
Airs,  yilexander. 
Watts, 
y.  E.  Bode. 
R.  Heber. 
Watts. 
H .  Bonar. 
Doddridge. 

E.  H.  Bickersteth 

A  71071. 

H.  W.  Baker. 
Tate  a7id  Brady. 

F.  R.  H 'aver gal. 

Tate. 
Doddridge. 

A  71071. 

F.  R.  Haver  gal. 
C.  F.  Gilbert. 
R.  Robinso7i- 
W.  C.  Dix. 
C.  Wesley 
yas.  Ed/7ieston. 
yas.  Allen. 
Milton. 

Dr.  y.M.  Neale. 
E.  Cas?vail. 
Mrs.  Alexander, 
y.  Neivto7i. 
y.  A7istice. 
Mrs.  Hankry. 
Eliz.  Cod7ier. 
Cowper. 


APPENDIX    III.  265 

These  one  hundred  hymns  were  published  by  the  Religious 
Tract  Society  in  a  threepenny  pamphlet  now  out  of  print.  The 
above  list  was  sent  out  together  with  the  appeal  for  information 
as  to  hymns  that  have  helped.  Hence  in  some  cases,  notably 
those  of  Mr.  Massingham  (of  the  Daily  Chronicle),  the  Head 
Master  of  Marlborough  College,  and  the  Bishop  of  Hereford,  the 
hymns  quoted  as  those  which  helped  them  were,  in  addition  to 
others,  contained  in  the  Stinday  at  Home  list. 


APPENDIX  DL 

HYMNS  AND  THOSE  WHOM  THEY  HAVE 

HELPED. 

The  following  is  a  very  rough  and  imperfect  classification 
which  I  hope  my  readers  will  enable  me  to  improve  materially 
before  the  next  edition.  Some  correspondents  sent  in  so  many 
hymns  that  had  helped  them  that  I  could  not  quote  them  all. 
Canon  Shuttleworth,  for  instance,  mentioned  a  hundred, 
accompanying  the  list  by  the  following   characteristic  note  : 

"  I  quite  expect  this  list  is  very  different  from  most.  I  hate 
with  a  holy  hatred  all  sentimentalist  maunderings,  all  feeble 
religiosities,  all  diseased  raptures  or  sorrows.  To  help  men, 
hymns  should  be  manful." 

1  have  been  compelled  in  this,  and  in  similar  cases,  to  quote 
only  five  or  six  hymns,  giving  preference  to  those  that  are 
different  from  most.  Mr.  Gladstone's  favourite  hymns  may 
be  said  to  be  almost  universal  favourites,  whereas  each  one,  as 
a  rule,  has  his  special  hymn,  and  to  these  specially  helpful 
hymns  I  wish  to  call  attention. 

Her  Majesty  the  Queen. 

Marriage  hymns. 

Funeral  hymns. 
The  Prince  of  Wales. 

Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee. 
The  Duke  of  Argyll. 

O  God  of  Bethel. 
Editor  of  "  Daily  Telegraph  "  (Sir  E.  Arnold). 

Ken's  Evening  Hymn. 

Longfellow's  Psalm  of  Life. 
Mr.  Asquith. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past. 


266  APPENDIX    III. 


Canon  Barker. 

One  sweetly  solemn  thought  comes  to  me  o'er  and  o'er. 

I  hear  Thy  welcome  voice. 

Stand  up,  stand  up  for  Jesus  (lovely). 

I  need  Thee  every  hour. 

I  think  when  I  read  that  sweet  story. 
H.  W.  Beecher. 

Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul. 
Head  Master  of  Marlborough  (Mr.  Bell). 

Now  thank  we  all  our  God.  —  IVinkworth. 

In  the  hour  of  trial.  — Montgomery. 

Come,  Holy  Ghost,  our  souls  inspire.  —  Cosin. 

And  now,  O  Father,  mindful  of  the  love.  —  Bright. 

I  prais'd  the  earth  in  beauty  seen.  —  Heber. 
And  some  20  others. 
Miss  Braddon. 

Lead,  kindly  light. 

Abide  with  me. 

Rock  of  ages. 

Bishop  Ken's  evening  hymn. 
John  Bright. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past. 
The  Duke  of  Cambridge. 

Onward,  Christian  soldiers. 
Moncure  D.  Conway. 

Come,  O  thou  traveller  unknown.  —  Wesley. 

Do  not  crouch  to-day  and  worship  the  old  past.  —  Procter. 

Ring  out,  wild  bells.  —  Tennyson. 
S.  R.  Crockett. 

23rd  Psalm  —  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd. 

142nd  Psalm —  I  to  the  hills  will  lift  mine  eyes 

103rd  Psalm —  O  thou,  my  soul,  bless  God  the  Lord. 

67th  Psalm. 

145th  Psalm. 

0  God  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand. 
Oliver  Cromwell. 

117th  Psalm. 

68th  Psalm  —  Let  God  arise,  and  let  His  foes  be  scattered. 
Dean  of  Canterbury  (F.  W.  Farrar). 

Cowper,  Keble,  Watts,  Wesley,  Faber,  and  Montgomery  have 
all  helped  me. 

1  can  scarcely  ever  join  in  "  For  ever  with  the  Lord  "  without 

tears. 
Sir  H.  H.  Fowler,  M.  P. 

Rock  of  ages. 

Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul. 
Harry  Furniss. 

Psalm  of  Life. 


APPENDIX    III.  267 


Rev.  Charles  Garrett,  Liverpool. 

Now  I  have  found  the  ground  whereon.  —  Rothe. 

Saviour,  Prince  of  Israel's  race.  —  Wesley. 

Souls  of  men,  why  will  ye  scatter.  —  Faber. 

Come,  Thou  Fount  of  every  blessing.  —  R.  Robinson. 

A  safe  stronghold  our  God  is  still.  —  Luther. 

When  wilt  Thou  save  the  people  ? —  Elliott. 
W.  Lloyd  Garrison. 

Awake,  my  soul,  stretch  every  nerve. 

Ye  tribes  of  Adam  far. 

Rise,  my  soul,  and  stretch  thy  wings. 
Mr.  Gladstone  never  made  a  list  of  his  favourite  hymns. 

Lead,  kindly  light. 

Rock  of  ages. 
Sarah  Grand. 

Calm  me.  my  God,  and  keep  me  calm. 

Call  me,  dear  Sariour,  I  will  wait  Thee. 
Gustavus  Adolphus. 

Battle  hymn. 
Newman  Hall. 

How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds. 

Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul. 

Rock  of  ages. 

Guide  me,  O  Thou  Great  Jehovah. 

Abide  with  me. 
Thomas  Hardy. 

Thou  turnest  man,  O  Lord,  to  dust.  —  Tate  and  Brady. 

Awake,  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun. 

Lead,  kindly  light.  — Newman. 
Bishop  of  Hereford. 

Saviour,  who  hast  at  Thy  command.  —  T.  Colvill. 

Jesu,  where'er  Thy  people  meet.  —  W.  Cowper. 

Come,  let  us  join  our  friends  above.  —  C.  Wesley- 
Silas  D.  Hocking. 

Strong  Son  of  God.  —  Tennyson. 

The  Eternal  Goodness.  —  Whittier. 

Abide  with  me.  —  Lyte. 

In  heavenly  love  abiding.  —  Waring: 
Rev.  H.  Price  Hughes. 

Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul. 

A  safe  stronghold  our  God  is  still. 

Te  Deum  laudamus. 

Come,  let  us  join  our  cheerful  songs. 

Come,  O  thou  traveller  unknown. 
W.  Johnston,  M.  P. 

The  Lord 's  my  Shepherd. 

At  even,  ere  the  sun  was  set. 


268 


APPENDIX    III. 


Richd.  Le  Gallienne. 

Lead,  kindly  light. 

Peace,  perfect  peace. 
Canon  Liddon. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past  (one  of  the  three  best). 
Mrs.  Lynn  Linton. 

My  God,  my  Father. 

Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee. 

Lead,  kindly  light. 
Sir  John  Lubbock  (out  of  20  or  more  hymns). 

New  every  morning  is  the  love. 

While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks  by  night. 

Jesus  Christ  is  risen  to-day,  Alleluia! 

The  Church's  one  foundation. 

Hark,  hark,  my  soul  !  angelic  songs  are  swelling. 

Brief  life  is  here  our  portion. 

As  pants  the  hart  for  cooling  streams. 

T  is  gone,  that  bright  and  orbed  blaze.  —  Keble. 

0  Lord,  my  God,  do  Thou  Thy  holy  will.  —  Keble. 
Why  should  we  faint  and  fear  to  live  alone.  —  Keble. 

Rev.  D.  Macrae  (Dundee). 

My  God,  I  thank  Thee.  —  Procter. 

1  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say.  —  Bonar. 
Sun  of  my  soul.  —  Keble. 

One  holy  Church  of  God  appears.  —  S.  W.  Longfellow. 
God  bless  the  little  children.  —  Page  Hopps. 
Editor  "  Daily  Chronicle  "  (H.  W.  Massingham)  (not 
in  order  of  helpfulness,  but  suggestions). 
Thou  hidden  love  of  God. 
My  God,  I  love  Thee  not  because. 
Come,  O  thou  traveller  unknown. 
Christ,  whose  glories  fill  the  sky. 
Dies  irae. 
Justin  McCarthy,  M.P. 
Adeste  fideles. 
Lead,  kindly  light. 
Mrs.  Alice  Meynell. 
Abide  with  me. 

My  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray. 
Sun  of  my  soul. 

Art  thou  weary,  art  thou  languid. 
Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty. 
Sweet  Saviour,  bless  us  ere  we  go. 
Jesus  lives. 
Our  blest  Redeemer. 
Professor  Max  Muller. 

Caput  cruentatum  (strong  impression  as  a  child). 
Lead,  kindly  light. 


APPENDIX   III.  269 

Professor  Max  Muller —  Continued. 

Cometh  sunshine  after  rain. 

Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life. 
Dr.  Rigg. 

Jesu,  Thy  boundless  love  to  me.  —  P.  Gerhardt. 

Now  I  have  found  the  ground  whereon.  —  Rothe,  translated   by 
J.  Wesley. 

Thou  hidden  love  of  God,  Whose  height.  —  Terstecgen,  trans- 
lated by  J.  Wesley. 

Come,  Saviour  Jesus,  from  above.  —  Madame  Bourignon. 

Weary  of  wandering  from  my  God.  —  Charles  Wesley. 
Lady  Henry  Somerset. 

The  will  of  God.  —  Faber. 

Pilgrims.  —  A.  Procter. 

My  triumph.  —  Whittier. 

A  first  sorrow. 
M.  H.  Spielmann  (Jewish). 

A  don  'Olam. 

Tigdal. 

Shemong. 
Rev.  Thomas  Spurgeon. 

There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood. 
The  Duchess  of  Sutherland  (who  has  compiled  a  private 
hymnal  for  use  in  Trentham  Church). 

And  now,  O  Father,  mindful  of  the  love. 
The  President  of  the  Wesleyan  Conference  (Rev. 
D.  J.  Waller). 

The  God  of  Abraham  praise 

Ere  God  had  built  the  mountains. 

Thou  Shepherd  of  Israel  and  mine. 

There  is  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy.  —  Faber- 
Head  Master  of  Harro\v  (Dr.  Welldon). 

Hark  !  my  soul,  it  is  the  Lord. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past. 

Rock  of  ages. 

Holy,  holy,  holy!   Lord  God  Almighty. 
Archdeacon  Wilson,  of  Manchester. 

Father,  whate'er  of  earthly  bliss.  —  Steele. 

How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds.  —Doddridge. 

Come,  ye  that  love  the  Lord.  —  Watts. 

()  Thou  to  whose  all-searching  sight.  —  J.  Wesley. 

When  all  Thy  mercies,  O  my  God.  —  Addison. 

Jesus,  whene'er  Thy  people  meet.  —  Coivper. 

Glorious  things  of  Thee  are  spoken.  —  Newton. 

Thou  hidden  love  of  God.  —  Tersteegen  and  Wesley. 

Ken's  and  Keble's  morning  and  evening  hymns. 

There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight.  —  Watts. 

Who  follow  Christ  whate'er  betide.  —  C.  Winkworth. 


270  APPENDIX   III. 

Archdeacon  Wilson  of  Manchester  —  Continued. 

Who  shall  ascend  to  the  Holy  Place.  —  Hankinson. 

O  love  divine,  how  sweet  thou  art.  —  C.  Wesley. 

Be  Thou  my  guardian  and  my  guide.  —  jf-  Williams. 

My  God,  and  is  Thy  table  spread.  —  Doddridge. 
Charles  Wesley. 

O  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing. 
Bishop  Moorhouse  (attaches  the  deepest  and  most  sacred 
associations  and  memories  of  good). 

Jesu,  Lover  of  my  soul. 

My  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray. 

Sun  of  my  soul,  Thou  Saviour  dear. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past- 

O  God  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand. 
Sir  Evelyn  Wood. 

Lead,  kindly  light. 

Fierce  raged  the  tempest. 

And  now,  Father,  mindful  of  the  love. 

Eternal  Father  !  strong  to  save. 
John  Wesley. 

Depth  of  mercy,  can  there  be. 


INDEX   OF   FIRST   LINES. 

PAGE 

A  charge  to  keep  I  have 215 

A  few  more  years  shall  roll 241 

A  sure  stronghold  our  God  is  He .»    .  53 

Abide  with  me,  fast  falls  the  eventide 207 

Adeste  fideies 80 

All  hail  the  power  of  Jesu's  name 29 

All  people  that  on  earth  do  dwell 30 

Allons,  enfants  de  la  Patrie 49 

"  Almost  persuaded  :  "  now  to  believe 177 

Angels  holy 37 

Art  thou  weary,  art  thou  languid 74 

At  even,  ere  the  sun  was  set 209 

At  the  cross  her  station  keeping 86 

Ave,  Maria,  gratia  plena 236 

Ave,  maris  Stella 237 

Awake,  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun 202 

Begone,  unbelief 119 

Blessed  Lord,  in  Thee  is  refuge 142 

Brief  life  is  here  our  portion 253 

By  Christ  redeemed,  in  Christ  restored 240 

Christ,  the  Lord,  is  risen  to-day 90 

"Christian!  seek  not  yet  repose  " 170 

Come,  Holy  Ghost,  our  souls  inspire 77 

Come,  let  us  join  our  friends  above 244 

Come,  O  Thou  traveller  unknown 154 

Come,  Thou  fount  of  every  blessing 196 

Come,  ye  sinners,  poor  and  wretched 179 

Courage,  brother!  do  not  stumble 220 

Curb  for  the  stubborn  steed 72 

Day  of  wrath  !  O  day  of  mourning 96 

De  profundis  clamavi  ad  te,  Domine 94 

Dies  irse,  dies  ilia 98 

Ein'  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott 54 

Eternal  Father,  strong  to  save 239 

Faith  of  our  fathers  !  living  still 238 

Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life 126 

Father  of  All!  in  ev'ry  Age 224 

Fear  not,  O  little  flock,  the  foe 58 

For  thee,  O  dear,  dear  country 255 

Forward  !  be  our  watchword 171 

From  Greenland's  icy  mountains 173 

Give  me  the  wings  of  faith  to  rise 245 


272 


INDEX   OF   FIRST   LINES. 


PAGE 

Give  to  the  winds  thy  fears 124 

Gloria  in  excelsis     .     . *    .     .     .  69 

Glory  be  to  God  on  high 68 

Glory  to  Thee,  my  God,  this  night 213 

God  bless  our  native  land 44 

God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 116 

God  save  our  gracious  Queen 39 

Gracious  Spirit,  Holy  Ghost 150 

Guide  me,  O  Thou  Great  Jehovah no 

Hail,  bright  Star  of  ocean 236 

Hail,  gladdening  Light,  of  His  pure  glory  pour'd 70 

Hail,  Mary,  full  of  grace 236 

Hark,  my  soul !  it  is  the  Lord ....  145 

Hark  !  the  herald  angels  sing 81 

Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  God =     .     .     .  82 

He  leadeth  me  !  Oh,  blessed  thought 114 

Hear  what  the  voice  from  heaven  proclaims 246 

Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty 33 

How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies    . 247 

How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds 187 

I  do  not  ask,  O  Lord,  that  life  may  be 114 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say 192 

I  lay  me  down  to  sleep 250 

I  live  for  those  who  love  me 231 

I  need  Thee  every  hour,  most  gracious  Lord 196 

I  to  the  hills  will  lift  mine  eyes 129 

If  the  Lord  me  sorrow  send 138 

Immortal  Love,  for  ever  full 226 

In  some  way  or  other  the  Lord  will  provide 118 

In  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  glory 200 

In  the  waves  and  mighty  waters 257 

Jerusalem,  my  happy  home 251 

Jerusalem  the  golden 256 

Jesu  dulcis  memoria 187 

Jesu  !   Lover  of  my  soul 151 

Jesus,  and  shall  it  ever  be? 199 

Jesus  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 175 

Jesus,  still  lead  on 113 

Jesus,  the  very  thought  of  Thee 186 

Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea 144 

Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom  .     .     .     .     .     •  107 

Let  God  arise,  and  scattered  let  all  his  en'mies  be 61 

Let  us,  with  a  gladsome  mind 34 

Life!  we 've  been  long  together 247 

Lo !   He  comes  with  clouds  descending 100 

Lord,  it  belongs  not  to  my  care      .......'....  130 

Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace    ....  69 

Lord  of  all  being,  throned  afar 229 

Love  divine,  all  loves  excelling 188 


1 


INDEX    OF    FIRST   LINES, 


273 


PAGE 

Magnificat      . 67 

Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord     .     .  59 

Miserere  mei,  Deus 84 

Must  Jesus  bear  the  Cross  alone 199 

My  country!  't  is  of  thee 46 

My  God,  I  love  Thee  :  not  because 156 

My  God,  my  Father,  blissful  name 135 

My  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray 134 

My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord     .     . 66 

Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee 159 

Now  I  have  found  the  ground  wherein  .     ., 185 

Now  thank  we  all  our  God 31 

Now  the  labourer's  task  is  o'er 249 

Nunc  dimittis 70 

O  come,  all  ye  faithful 79 

O  Deus,  ego  amo  Te 157 

O  for  a  closer  walk  with  God 164 

O  for  a  heart  to  praise  my  God 162 

O  give  ye  praise  unto  the  Lord 62 

O  God  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand        182 

O  God  of  Truth,  whose  living  word 163 

O  Jesu,  King  most  wonderful 194 

O  Jesus,  I  have  promised 165 

O  Lord,  how  happy  should  we  be .  132 

O  Love,  that  wilt  not  let  me  go 146 

O  Sacred  Head  once  wounded 197 

O  Thou,  from  whom  all  goodness  flows 136 

O  timely  happy,  timely  wise 205 

Oft  in  sorrow,  oft  in  woe 169 

Oh  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing 190 

Oh  to  be  nothing,  nothing 167 

Onward,  Christian  soldiers  !  marching  as  to  war 168 

Our  Blest  Redeemer,  ere  He  breathed 153 

Our  Friend,  our  Brother,  and  our  Lord 227 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past      .     .          181 

Out  of  the  depths  have  I  cried  unto  Thee,  O  Lord      ....  94 

Pange  lingua  gloriosi 92 

Peace,  perfect  peace     .     .          201 

Praise  God  from  Whom  all  blessings  flow 33 

Rescue  the  perishing,  care  for  the  dying 222 

Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me 139 

Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus 193 

Saviour,  again  to  Thy  dear  name  we  raise 210 

Saviour,  breathe  an  evening  blessing 212 

Saviour,  when  in  dust  to  Thee       102 

Si  scopron  le  totnbe,  si  levano  i  morti 64 

Sing,  my  tongue,  the  Saviour's  glory 91 

Sleep  on,  beloved,  sleep,  and  take  thy  rest 248 

So  here  hath  been  dawning 204 

18 


274  INDEX   OF  FIRST   LINES. 

PAGE 

Soldiers  of  Christ,  arise 170 

Souls  of  men  !  why  will  ye  scatter .  230 

Sowing  the  seed  by  the  dawn-light  fair 223 

Stabat  Mater  dolorosa 88 

Standing  by  a  purpose  true 221 

Sun  of  my  soul,  Thou  Saviour  dear 206 

Sweet  Saviour,  bless  us  ere  we  go 211 

Take  my  life,  and  let  it  be 161 

Te  Deum  laudamus 26 

Tell  me  not,  in  mournful  numbers 215 

That  day  of  wrath,  that  dreadful  day      .     , 95 

The  Lord  's  my  shepherd,  I  '11  not  want no 

The  spacious  firmament  on  high 232 

The  Universal  Master  reigned 234 

There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood 148 

There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight 252 

There  were  ninety  and  nine 176 

Thou  hidden  Love  of  God,  whose  height 191 

Thy  way,  not  mine,  O  Lord 132 

Time  is  earnest,  passing  by . 178 

'T  is  my  happiness  below 133 

Uplifted  the  tombstones 65 

Veni,  Creator 78 

We  plough  the  fields  and  scatter 242 

We  praise  Thee,  O  God 24 

When  all  Thy  mercies,  O  my  God 36 

When  gathering  clouds  around  I  view 117 

When  I  survey  the  wondrous  Cross 147 

When  our  heads  are  bowed  with  woe 101 

When  the  weary,  seeking  rest 104 

When  wilt  Thou  save  the  people? 45 

Without  haste  and  without  rest    .     . 217 

Work,  for  the  night  is  coming 219 

Workman  of  God,  O  lose  not  heart 218 

Ye  sons  of  France,  awake  to  glory 51 

Yn  y  dyfroedd  mawr  a'r  tonau 257 


INDEX   OF  AUTHORS. 

Adams,  Mrs 159 

Addison,  Joseph 36,  232 

Alexander,  Dr.  (Translator) 197 

Alford,  Dean 171 

Alstyne,  Mrs.  Van 193 

Altenburg,  Pastor 58 

Anonymous.     .     .     24,  39,  79,  n8,  167,  177,  178,  199,  215.  222,  223, 

236,  238,  250,  257 


INDEX   OF  AUTHORS. 


275 


PAGE 

Anstice,  Rev.  Prof. 132 

Aquinas,  Thomas 91 

Auber,  Harriet 153 

Banks,  G.  Linnaeus 231 

Barbauld,  Mrs 247 

Baring-Gould,  Rev.  S 168 

Baxter,  Richard 130 

Bernard  of  Clairvaux 186,  194,  197 

Bernard  of  Cluny 253,255,256 

Bickersteth,  Bishop 201 

Blackie,  Prof.  J.  S 37 

Bliss,  Philip 221 

Bode,  Rev.  J.  E 165 

Bonar,  Horatius 104,  132,  192,  241 

Booth,  Herbert 142 

Bowring,  Sir  John 200 

Campbell,  Miss  T.  M.  (Translator) -    .     .     .  242 

Carlyle,  Thomas 204 

Carlyle,  Thomas  (Translator) 53 

Caswall,  E.  (Translator) i^(, 

Cennick,  John,  and  Charles  Wesley 100 

Claudius,  Matthias 242 

Clephane,  Elizabeth  C I76 

Cohen,  Rev.  F.  L.  (Translator)    ...."...'.'.  234 

Cosin,  Bishop  (Translator) °     [  * 

Cowper,  William ttf.  ' ,,',    lAC\ln  ,ki 

Doddridge,  Dr '.  "'  V.    4  '  \tt 

Doudney,  Miss  Sarah .'               |     *  2.g 

Edmeston,  Dr \  * 

Ellerton,  Rev.  John '..'.!!                     '  2T'o  ■>** 

Elliott,  Charlotte ,,„   Vaa  VI 

Elliott,  Ebenezer '34'  I44'  *7° 

F.  B.  P •     •     •  45 

Faber,    F.  W. '.'.'.  '     '   ,*„  '     a    1,1 

Gerhardt,  Pauius  ...:.::::::;  :    '    '  a. 

Gilmore,  Joseph  H * 

Goethe m  '     ■> 

Grant,  Sir  Robert '•    '.    '.    '.    '.    '.    '.    '  'io«    117 

Gregg,  Joseph \  .     . '      ' 

Hart,  Joseph ZZ 

Havergal,  Miss  F.  R ^ 

Haweis,  Thomas "**».»* 

Hawks,  Mrs.  A.  S '.'..'. JQ6 

Heber,  Bishop "    *      * 

Holmes,  O.  W ..!."."  '.         22 

Howe,  Julia  Ward .*..***  •    •  •  29 

Hughes,  Tom ...'.'.'.  J7 

Irons,  Dr.  (Translator) .'     '  '  06 

Jacopone m  'm    *  .86 


276 


INDEX   OF  AUTHORS. 


PAGE 

Keble,  John 205,  206 

Keble,  John  (Translator) 70 

Ken,  Bishop 32,  202,  213 

Kethe,  W 30 

Longfellow,  Henry  W .215 

Luther,  Martin -     .     .  53 

Lyte,  Rev.  H.  F 207 

Macleod,  Dr.  Norman 220 

Matheson,  Dr 146 

Mercantini,  L 64 

Milman,  Dean 101 

Milton,  John .  34 

Neale,  Dr.  (Translator) 74 

Newman,  Cardinal 107 

Newton,  John 119,  187 

Perronet,  E 29 

Plumptre,  Dean 72 

Pope,  Alexander 224 

Procter,  Adelaide 114 

Rawson,  George 240 

Rinkart,  Martin 31 

Robinson,  Robert 196 

Rothe,  Johann  Andreas 185 

Rouget  de  Lille 49 

Sankey,  Ira  D 219 

Scott,  Sir  Walter  (Translator) 95 

Smith,  Samuel  Francis 46 

Steele,  Anne 135 

Stephen  the  Sabaite .     .     .     .  74 

Tersteegen,  Gerhard .     .  191 

Toplady,  Rev.  A.  M 139 

T  wells,   H 209 

Waring,  Miss 126 

Watts,  Dr.  Isaac 147,  175,  181,  245,  246,  252 

Wesley,  Charles      .     .     .     .81,  90,  151,  154,  162,  170,  188,  190,  244 

Wesley,  Charles,  and  John  Cennick 100 

Wesley,  John  (Translator) 124,  185,  191 

White,  Henry  Kirke 169 

Whiting,  William 239 

Whittier,  J.  G 226,  227 

Williams,  William  ... no 

Willich,  Ernst  von 138 

Winkworth,  Catherine  (Translator) 31 

Wordsworth,  Bishop 150 

Xavier,  Francis.          156 

Zinzendorf,  Count 113 


